0 2012>2013

I ushered in the new year... by not ushering it in; I was in deep slumber, knocked out and unconscious. Initially I even contemplated going for watchnight service. But as I crawled into bed at 9 PM (just after dinner and newspaper reading), I knew I was a goner. What an eventful start to the new year, ha.

2012 was a year of turbulence and self-discovery. It started off with re-adapting to the intensity of NUS's curriculum, after spending a relaxing semester at KCL, which may even be considered a semi-holiday. Of course, there was much nostalgia and pining for the days of yore. Politics of Heritage was also one of the most challenging, stressful but rewarding modules I'd taken so far. Of course, the highlight was the trip to Cambodia which really opened my eyes to the less fortunate and atrocities of mankind; my previous travels were largely limited to the first world countries. Starting lab was another turning point. I'd never imagine it could get so intense, or maybe it was the nature of my project. Even before commencing the project, finding the right professor proved a challenge as a faced many rejections.

Spiritually, I think I can say I've grown a teeny weeny bit. At least I try to devote the best part of the day (mornings) to reading the Bible and learning God's word. I hope to continue this practice in 2013, as well as to do more prayer and read deeper into the Word, and not just read for reading's sake. I would love to join a small group in church, but I'm so afraid of commitments, especially when my schedule is so unpredictable. I know this is an unexcusable excuse, for nothing should override God as priority. But still...

It has also been a lot of fun on the gastronomy side. Although I still like dining out, I now much prefer home-cooked food and experimenting with ingredients. This (oops, I mean last) year many new creations were replicated or developed, from breads from scratch to curries and protein powders. The tradition of oatmeal continues unabated, but with more flourishes and toppings. I also overcame my fear of coconut in 2012; now I enjoy coconut butter in appreciable amounts, use coconut meat without second thought in smoothies and drink coconut juice with gusto. The top few dining highlights in 2012 were (in no particular order): Pollen at GBTB, Waterfall Cafe at Shangri La, Wah Lok at Carlton Hotel, Wild Honey at Scotts and the sweet potato curry from Palm Sugar (?) restaurant in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Actually I loved all the food in Cambodia. Unfortunately, I lost even more weight, and am at my lowest physical point ever, if that is even possible. :(

In 2013, I hope to gain weight (drink supplements consistently and treat it like it's medicine); grow stronger spiritually and have a deeper relationship with God, and hopefully discover God's purpose for my life; learn to live and let loose; learn to treasure friendship, family ties, and not be so insular.

Today the new year gave an impetus to try out a new breakfast: buckwheat groats porridge. Previously I had only tried buckwheat flakes before which has a very earthy taste and definitely would benefit from some (natural) sugars. As a fail-safe strategy, I did a cream-of-banana-cinnamon-vanilla with buckwheat groats, cooked in water/soy in 1:2 ratio. The groats were much less absorbent than oatmeal, and did not get creamy at all. Although according to instructions, the groats would be cooked within 10 minutes, I doubled the cooking time as I did not want to be biting into stones for breakfast. It was topped with the usual tahini, protein nut mix and a special (last) chocolate-covered raisin. The result? Either the groats were tasteless or the banana-cinnamon-vanilla spice completely overwhelmed the expected earthy taste of buckwheat. I may reduce the cooking time to 10-15 minutes for some chew; this time it was quite soft although the groats still retained their individual shape. Overall it was not a bad experience. I am also looking forward to experimenting it in salads and savoury dishes like pesto buckwheat.

For lunch I also prepared an artichoke - a first experience. Another post will be dedicated to this!

Seeing prof for ISM arrangement tmr morning :( My last ISM. A tinge of regret that I procrastinated last sem and shifted it to this sem.

Bible verse to tide through the year (or at least the month or week)- Joshua 1:6-9

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

0 21+1

Why does time seem to accelerate after you cross the 20 mark? An unexpected birthday surprise from the lab mates, dinner with old school friends and numerous FB msgs made me feel all warm, loved and happy. I realized I haven't felt happy in a long time. And for all these small things in life, to be remembered, I am so thankful and grateful. Photos will be uploaded soon, in lieu of my unstudied test tomorrow.

The quote above is just something I came across. I was nodding the whole time I read the quote. To live in the moment is an art in itself, especially in the hectic, neverending Singapore student life.

0 Rise, rose and risen

Guanaja chocolate souffle by Laurent Bernard Chocolatier (The Pier, 80 Robertson Quay). This had been on my bucket list for eons and I can finally put the tick mark next to it with much satisfaction. This was amazing in so many dimensions: a feather-light mousse centre that was deep and unctuously rich with dark guanaja chocolate, the bitterness nicely tempered with a refreshing icy raspberry sorbet and vanilla bean creme. It was a birthday surprise to celebrate my friend's 22nd, and we delighted in this occasion with an equally delightful indulgent dessert.

Taking a step back, let's do a bit of analysis. What makes a souffle a tower of beauty? Forming the structure of a souffle is a stiff foam of beaten egg whites. During baking, steam expands the air bubbles in the foam causing the souffle to rise. The foam sets as the egg white cooks. Maintaining the delicate, feather-light structure is much of a science lesson.

Understanding the conditions and processes that maintain the protein structure can help to avoid such a kitchen disaster. The following tips is taken from Souffles in The Science of Cooking.

Temperature.The foam has a tendency to collapse after the final stages of mixing when fats are added. Hence souffles should be put into a hot oven so that they start cooking immediately. The right temperature is also paramount. Too hot and the souffle may be scorched on the outside before it is cooked in the centre; too low and the egg proteins can cook and stiffne before the steam can make the souffle rise, giving a flat souffle.

Greasing with hard fat (soft fats tend to flow away during cooking). Greasing is necessary to prevent protein molecules from sticking to surfaces, which can impede the rising process.

Smaller dishes are preferable. Foam (air) is a very poor conductor of heat; the outside of the souffle gets hot quickly while the centre takes longer to cook. Using smaller ramekins makes it easier to produce a souffle that is uniformly cooked through the centre.

Separate eggs and beat the whites to make a very stiff foam. A really stiff foam is necessary as this forms the basis of the souffle. Smaller bubbles are better as they provide a uniform and smooth texture to the souffle. This can be achieved by longer beating times.

Avoid fats for souffle ingredients. Fats make the egg white foam collapse, just like how fats causes bubbles in a bubble bath to disappear. If fats are added (for e.g., some recipes call for egg yolks, or fats found in flavorings such as cocoa butter in chocolate).

I'm tempted to try an attempt at a souffle recipe. But first I need ramekins!

0 The rage

Study trip to ACM and farewell to Ms Soh yesterday summed up a busy day. Less than expected number of people turned up for the farewell; the 07/08 batch had 5 people only. Just typing '07/08' makes me feel so old. Luckily it didn't last that long or I would have felt rather awkward. Just dinner + some speeches + photos + mainly catching up with QY

What I'm lovin lately: baked steel cutters. Advantage of this is that I can let the oven do the cookin' which saves the stirring time. It comes out chewier than stove up, another plus! Here's a banana version I made a couple of days ago. Drizzled geneously with Maranatha's AB.

0 Gone viral

It was a pity that PZ could not complete our reunion last night; LM, JJ and I had an enjoyable night out at Orchard. Even though we meet only at most every 6 months, each time we meet, it's like we've never been separated.

First, we had dinner at Robert Timms. Plans for dining at Sun with Moon had to be reworked because of the long reservation list. It was a minimum wait of 35-45 minutes if we wanted to eat there. We weren't that desperate, so sought an alternative place, and eventually settled on Timms.

I was torned between having a garlic prawn & cilantro spaghetti and the vegetarian tofu pattie with mushrooms. For the sake of being unconventional, I decided on the latter. This was both a hit and a miss. The tofu patty was AWSM. Albeit breaded and deep-fried (alarm bells!), there wasn't a hint of oil at all. The patty was stuffed with cubed tofu, spinach and other unidentifiable ingredients, harmoniously bound together by some slightly sweet cheesy sauce. It kind of reminded me of Mildred's in London. The mushrooms and zucchini served on the side were executed very well too, especially those juicy, popping earthy shrooms. What went amiss was the mashed potato; it was dry and unappetizing. But once again, the tofu patty was really good and that satisfied me tummy ;) It was a rather unhealthy meal considering the deep-fried, cheese and mashed potato factor, but it's CNY and it's once in a bluemoon occasion.

After shopping around Ion orchard, it was down to Cineleisure to catch The Viral Factor, starring Jay Chou and Nicholas Tse. The plot contained multiple stories all unfolding simultaneously, not unlike Inception. First, there's the smallpox virus, then Jon (Chou) having to deal with his malignant diagnosis of having two weeks before he becomes paralyzed due to a bullet lodged in his brain, then having to locate his long-lost brother and father, then all three plots intersect as his baddy brother was also implicated in the smallpox virus plot too. What I found interesting about the movie was the multiple languages used - Chou and the Taiwanese would converse in Mandarian, the Hongkies/Malaysians in Cantonese and the Caucasians in English. I think it highlights the tension and the irresolvable discreteness between the different camps in the film. This is especially stark between Jon and his brother, for they have trodden different paths since they were separated.

It's time back to work!

1 From a grateful heart

Combined birthday celebration with 1-day-younger cousin.

I daresay I had the best weekend I could ever wish for. It started on Friday with an unexpected courier arriving at the doorstep. Tearing open the big brown package, I was touched by the softest pair of brown moccasins with sewn on details and a heartwarming birthday card from my sister Down Under. Then on Saturday, things got more fun with a combined birthday celebration with my cousin, who is born in the same year but 1 day later! The weekend culminated on a high with my first fine dining experience at Caffe B in Marina Bay Sands. Because I feel so blessed, I shall now start my speech, or rather, list of gratitude.

21 things I'm grateful for

1. For Mum, whose love knows no bounds. No matter how disobedient and annoying I am to her sometimes, and for all the worry I've caused her with my health issues, she's always there, a pillar that can survive an earthquake, no doubt.
2. For Sam, who can turn any sad day into one of laughter. Her happy-go-lucky demeanor keeps me sane.
3. For Steph. Although I'm not that close to her, she still shows her sisterly love in small numerous ways. I hope she'll be less stressed at work!
4. For Daddy, who despite his idiosyncrasies, will always be Daddy.
5. Batman! For bringing naughty, joy, loads of pain and marks of scars into my life. Long live the emperor cat.
6. Friends. I may not have many friends, and even fewer close friends, but of those I know, they're wholly dependable.

Caffe B: where Italian meets Japanese. I wonder if the 'B' stands for anything?

7. For the small comforts of life, a roof over my head and a bed to sleep.

8. For having the luxury to enjoy good food.

9. For education, and the opportunity and funds to go on exchange.

Best foccacia I had! Toasty but still light, and bursting with aromatic herbs. Those breadsticks packed a big punch too.

10. For life-long learning, and for all the mysteries in the world that makes life fascinating.

The plate the fish carpaccio (thin slices of raw fish; think sashimi) was like a painting palette (except with holes) - so pretty! This looked and tasted more Japanese than Italian, but no matter, it was great. Fresh, no fishy smell and the various citrusy sauces that accompanied the different types of fish (can't differentiate the different types of fish except the center one was probably salmon) paired well. The pesto dressing (not shown) was a little out-of-place though. I enjoyed the center (salmon?) one best.

11. For music and great composers. Like Tchaikovsky, Hans Zimmer, Alexandra Desplat ...
12. For the Bible, God and his teachings. I know I haven't been the most faithful Christian, and I should try harder... the ultimate goal.
13. For Popo, cousins, aunts and uncle, who opened my eyes to the less well-off Singaporeans. May God bless them!
14. For technology, and the wizards who think of even more amazing technology, so that life's such a breeze now. (Of course there are the bad sides but lets ignore that for now.)

Light but full on flavour. The crispy Parmesan, sadly, was no longer crispy, or maybe it was because I'd let it sit too long in the soup  before tasting it. Nonetheless, it still had a peculiar texture - spongy - and its savoury taste complemented the soup well.

15. For diversity in the world.
16. For movies, stories, plays and the fictional world for the extra bit of fantasy land and the spark of imagination.
17. For oatmeal, nuts and nut butter, banana, durian, pumpkin and cinnamon - ok, i just had to say this.

This was the only letdown, and it was quite a disaster. The orecchiette (litte 'ear' pasta) was way undercooked. The basil sauce and garden vegetables (corn, beans and the like) was ok, but nothing like I can't whip up myself. Perhaps I made the wrong choice and should have gone for risotto instead?

18. Nature, and all living and breathing creatures.
19. For the beautiful things like fashion, interior decor etc.

My first ever panna cotta. This was creamy yet light, almost like a souffle. Is that even possible? The mixed fruits reduction of, I think, kiwi, mango and apple, paired well with the wiggly pudding.

20. For the ocean and seas.
21. And (really running out of ideas).... for being born into this world!

Ok. I need to rush off with my last minute packing before I embark on my 3-month trip to London in just a few hours time!

2 Sacrilege

Often you hear stories how Singaporeans based overseas yearn for local fare like laksa and chicken rice. Two nights ago I was in a position that would be the envy of these overseas Singaporeans: dinner with my college friends at Chomp Chomp, the famous hawker centre at Serangoon Gardens. It was certainly a feast of local delicacies (as pictured from top left): satay, sambal kang kong, rojak, or luak (oyster omelette) and BBQ stingray. In addition, there were BBQ chicken wings and sugar cane juice. No doubt these were tasty, if not a little heavy on the seasonings, but I don't particularly hanker for such food like I do for oatmeal or a veggie sammich with good wholemeal bread. Sacrilegious, I know. The food police might just strip me off my Singaporean citizenship.

[caption id="attachment_86" align="aligncenter" width="529" caption="JJ and me. Chomps was far smaller than I thought."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_87" align="aligncenter" width="529" caption="Horrible lighting that makes the skin so sallow like jaundice. But love my friends :)"][/caption]

Nonetheless, it was a nice evening catching up with the friends before they get swept away in the tide of school work once the semester starts next week. I'm spared this time round! I can't stop gloating, ha ha.