0 Pancake batter [1]

This happy meal actually took place yesterday morning - a beautiful start to a beautiful weekend with beautiful food and most importantly, with beautiful company - mum, sam, and granny. Such a rare chance to get three-generations to gather.

I was so enticed by the drop-dead-salivating-inducing pancakes by Ashley over at Edible Perspectives, as well as the literal food porn that accompany GingerGirl's single-serve breakfasts. I could handle it no longer. Off I went to buy a pancake/waffle mix from the ever trustworthy Bob's Red Mill. Specifically, a 10-grain mix with baking powder and buttermilk powder all mixed in. All I needed was to throw in some milk and eggs, and do some flipping action. It sounds easier than it is; I have experienced failed pancakes of all sorts: burnt, stodgy, doughy, floppy etc. But yesterday I was Determined To Master THE PANCAKE.
I can't say I'm fully over with my fear of eggs and oils. Instead of 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons of oil (for 1 cup mix), I did one real egg and one chia egg (1 tbsp chia seeds, 3 tbsp water), and nixed the oil completely. The result couldn't be any better - the batter fluffed and puffed and stretched tall and proud as it heated up in the non-stick pan (I didn't even have to coat it with oil), as if trying to test it limits of how far it could stretch. In the end, 1 cup flour mix yielded 9 souffle-like pancakes, just so I know the serving size estimation in the future
My only regret was I wolfed down the pancakes too quickly, leaving no time to analyse the improvements needed. It was too good, especially with durians, chocolate, JEM nut butter and strawberries are involved. Pillows of Heavenly Goodness.
Now, for the exact recipe

Basic pancake batter [1] (BRM's 10 grain pancake/waffle mix)

• 1 cup flour mix
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 egg
• 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened

1. Make the chia egg by stirring chia seeds into water. Let stand 15 min (can be prepared the night before if you're to inpatient to wait in the morning)
2. Whisk the egg and add in chia egg and almond milk
3. Create a well in the flour and mix in the wet ingredients. Do not overmix (it's okay for the batter to have some lumps).
4. Heat a small non-stick pan over low heat. Spoon batter into pan (about 1/4 scoops) and heat each side for about 1.5-2 min.
5. Cover each cooked pancake with a kitchen towel to keep moist as you cook (an agonizing wait, I know)
6. Finally, pour/sprinkle/scatter on the toppings!

The contrast of cold durian against the steaming fluffy cloud-like pancakes was out-of-the-world. Better than four-seasons anytime.
Three more days, two more exams, but hardly in a mood to study!

0 A true JEM

Drugs paper was so bad today I should have cried. Instead, I relieved my sorrow with a bout of grocery shopping (4 peaches, 10-grain BRM pancake/waffle mix) and whipping up a yummy one-bowl-buddha-bowl lunch (couscous, garlic cod, avocado, blush tomatoes, red peppers). And then random surfing of the www until now. Is this yet another year-4-graduation symptom?

I haven't posted a picture in a long while and here's my pre-exam breakfast fuel. Delicious but sadly, did nothing to help in my writing speed and memory.

Steel cut oats cooked in almond milk (Natura, unsweetened) spiced with vanilla & cinnamon, on a bed of chopped strawberries, blackberries, nugget of Laughing Giraffe vanilla almond macaroon, chopped mango pieces. Baked for an additional 10 minutes to get it all hot and bubbly. Topped with my concoction of JEM cinnamon maca AB/melted raw chocolate truffles (Ultimana)/raw macadamia nut butter + more toppings of crushed almonds and dried cranberries. The shade of pink is so lovely, isn't it?

JEM nut butter definitely lives up to its name. For the cinnamon/maca version, it tastes exactly like caramel, and if you're familiar with asian cuisine, full of that gula melaka (jaggery) flavour. That's because they sweeten it with coconut palm sugar. My next haul from Raw Food Living will definitely include another of their products - likely the cardamom one. Sounds exotic!

***

Update. Was dreaming about pancakes for tomorrow's breakfast and then mum came home, with not just one box, but TWO or maybe THREE boxes of durians! New idea: durian pancake! Like Four Seasons style. My intention initially was fluffy pancakes with blackberries and strawberries but now, it's gonna be crepe style with thick chunky durian pulp! With all these going on, I can hardly focus on studying! Bad girl.

1 Cakes of all sorts

Chocolate or durian? Chocolate or durian? Choco-.... I was split between the equally tantalizing choices of a TortaPistocchi from Checkers@Hilton and the famed durian cakes at The Deli@Goodwood Park. I reasoned that since the durian fiesta will be on for a few more months, I should get the former. In the end, logistics decided fate; the chocolate torte was only sold as whole cakes and I didn't want a whole cake although no doubt it would be awesomely chocolaty ooey gooey good. Or probably too good that it will send me right to death by chocolate. So after depositing my cheque I walked to GWP. There I faced another decision: just get a slice of cake or the promotion combo (3 cakes + 2 puffs + 1 tartlet) for $35++. My only fear was that the combo would be an overkill and will not be able to be finished in time while the durian was still fresh at its peak. But I did the math and the savings were indeed quite worthy. Anyway, if I had to choose a single cake that would be another heart-wrenching decision. In short, I went for the combo. Typical Singaporeans like variety.

So before dinner I excitedly cut a slice of the pandan coconut durian cake (mum's choice) so that by after dinner, it would be just thawed and ready for indulgence. And indulgence it really was! Thick and creamy pure D24 durian sandwiched between two delightfully fragrant, pandan-infused pandan sponge cake. Phew! Actually I didn't really care much for the pandan, but I'm sure it's presence did highlight and bring out the durianness of the durian, if that makes any sense. The coconut flakes may appeal to some, but not me. I'm planning on having one of the puffs for breakfast tmr. Woo hoo! To thaw in fridge overnight.

0 Discharged

I'm a free bird! No more drips and needles and radiation and cold air-con and unappetizing breakfasts and back to hot creamy oatmeals! Though I shudder and the thought of the state of my flies and horrendous amount of lab work that's piled up in just 6 days

Hospital meals today were exceptionally good. I had Western full diet for both lunch and dinner. Lunch was "Grilled Chicken with Orange Veloute, Mashed Potato and Steamed Vegetables." The grilled chicken was the chicken chop kind which means it was fatty in some areas. Nevertheless, there were enough lean parts to fill my tummy. The orange veloute was not so much of a veloute but a sauce, but still, it gave a nice citrusy kick to the dish. The mashed potato came in the form of wedges instead, with skins on. It was nice in a sinfully salty way, though I tried to just eat the fluffy insides and avoid the fried outer parts. Dinner was "Seared Snapper, Salad Nicoise with Citrus Vinaigrette and Butter Rice." The seared snapper was awesome. Their version of "salad nicoise" meant carrots, green beans and yellow zucchini, which I don't see in what way resembled the real mccoy. Nevertheless all forms of veggies are good and I'm not complaining. Tmr's breakfast offered the seemingly appetizing option of "Hot Oatmeal with Peach Compote and Lemon Ricotta". After two days of Rude Health's Spelt Oaty's and bites of Larabar's Chocolate Cherry Torte for breakfast, I decided to risk having watery oatmeal again. Let's see how it turns out.

0 The gift of sleep and rest

Some things are just too coincidental to happen by chance; I believe it was a sign from God. Today's Bible verse is Psalm 127:2

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat--for he grants sleep to those he loves.

In light of my viral feverish sickness, I believe God wants me to take a break and rest; the few days before that I had been returning to the lab for consecutive days on end. Despite my sickness I still went back to the lab the past few days and was really non-productive, like slow jerky movements which is not good because you need steady hands. Maybe because I was defiant, I still have not recovered (fever has subsided but cough is persistent). Another reason is perhaps although I'm taking the cough medicine (pi pa gao), I'm still taking my nuts and nut butters and other cough-inducing foods that I would not give up. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this morning's stick-to-your-ribs bowl of oatmeal: whipped banana blueberry Scottish oats (BRM) cooked in water/goat's milk, protein powder, cinnamon, vanilla extract, topped with crushed nuts, raisins, chocolate AB (Justin's) and tahini. Except that it was interrupted with bouts of coughing fits in between.

I should learn from my cat - snooze all day!

0 All the good eats in a [klutz] day

Breakfast - banana cinnamon oat-muffin-bagel porridge topped with Justin's chocolate almond butter, a chunk of Theo & Philo green mango and sea salt dark chocolate and cocoa mole hot chocolate sauce made with Delamere's skimmed goat's milk, and a scattering of pomegranate seeds. Lunch - Italian salad leaves, roasted vine-ripened cherry tomatoes and uber-ripe mushy avocado slices, purple potatoes & carrots roasted in avocado oil, seasoned with black pepper, cumin, paprika and dill, two whites-one-yolk creamy scrambled eggs, crumbled goats cheese, and half an Ambrosia apple afterwards. Dinner - lup cheong, shitake shroom and scallion soy sauce fried rice, sea bass, slow cooker chicken wolfberry herbal soup with si shen powder, papaya slices.

On the other hand, something was wrong with me today. 1. Spilled gooey egg whites all over the kitchen counter when I cracked the egg (NOT fun cleaning up). 2. Splashed egg mixture onto stove top when stirring the eggs in the non-stick pan. 3. Prepared my secondary antibody mixture wrongly three times before I got it correct. 4. This included fixing the dissected brains in the secondary antibody mix instead of fixing buffer! 5. Almost incubated the in situ brain samples with a secondary antibody mix with mouse Cy3 (red is Tyramide Cy3!) 6. spilled rice all over the floor when scooping rice for dinner.

I believe He was trying to impart a message about having quiet quality time today. The topic in Our Daily Bread today was "Time Out," a reminder to take time out and pray in the midst of hard work. Incidentally Luke 10 (I'm still through Luke 10) also talks about Jesus' teaching on Prayer.

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

0 Doughy, carby, chocolatey

Things have been busy lately, but it's the repetitive-kind-of-busy, which means not much progress made on the lab front. At least I've managed to clear 90% of confocal imaging, which was my target set for 31-12-12. I'm really quite sick of lab now; what's keeping me sane is knowing that it'll all be over in a matter of months time. It's so near yet so far. I know all this will pass in a whiz, yet during this period of time there's still the data to process, thesis to write, poster presentation. These very thoughts scare me.

On the food front, things could not have been better. I take every meal, especially breakfasts and Sunday dinners, as an opportunity to exercise creativity. From Christmassy oatmeal themes featuring s'nog (soy nogs) and homemade cranberry sauce (above) to pools of hot mole chocolate made with good quality dark chocolate like Godiva and Fauchon (below).

Today's breakfast theme - triple chocolate & banana (from bottom up): seared 'nana coins; Rude Health The Oatmeal cooked in water with a nugget of Justin's chocolate almond butter stuck in the core; topped with hot chocolate mole sauce made with soy milk, protein powder, square of Fauchon 65% coffee chocolate noir, chocolate mole powder and extra coffee granules.

This week I also bought Rudi's cinnamon raisin bagels which I had for a quick lunch today before going off to Middle Earth. Mouthfuls of doughy carbs paired with mushy avocado and flakey salmon = pure satisfaction.

Dinner was aloo matar gajar, basic indian curry with potatoes, peas and carrots (translated in that order). I added carrots for extra bulk. Alongside I had a hunk of Curry Times' curry bun, which was filled with even more potatoey goodness, and I must admit, their filling was much tastier than mine. I loved the soft sweet white bread bun. Doughy carbs again!

It's yet another eventful year gone by. I'll be ruminating on the changes and challenges I'll like to take on for 2013 as I reflect on events of 2012. Maybe a dedicated post tomorrow, if I can fit the time in.

0 Beet this [smoothie]!

All it takes it just a little effort [and a whole lot of noise tolerance] to whip up this chokeful-of-antioxidants smoothie. This consisted of a chunk of roasted beetroot, slices of frozen bananas, Lifetime Basic's protein powder, scoop of chocolate mole powder, chia seeds, and a dollop of Rachel's ginger greek yogurt. The result was a thick, satisfying smoothie. The earthy notes of the beets were noticeable but nicely balanced by the sweetness of the 'nanas. Chili chocolate gave it a nice warm kick to the ice cold smoothie. I like contrasts, and this smoothie embodied multifarious textures and tastes.

I'm the most effective procrastinator; should really get back to studying. Feel an impending doom for tomorrow's paper. Yay for being the last exam but nay for being rather unprepared. Whatever, just wanna get over and done with possibly the second last round of exams in my entire life.

0 Dysregulation

I think am self-destructive, or at least immune to stress, or maybe, have a damaged amygdala. Knowing very well that I have an assignment which deadline is imminent, exam in two freakin' weeks time, and untouched revision, yet I still am surfing the web like it's the holidays. Why can't I regulate my behaviour properly???

But I haven't been that relaxed and happy in such a long while. After church (7.30 AM service - a convert to early bird :)) I headed to Cold Storage at Takashimaya for grocery shopping. Unfortunately at just past 9 the shops were still closed. What [bad] luck. As such, it called for a detour to United Square's branch instead. But it proved a blessing in disguise because I scored a few discounted items and exotic buys. Like:

• Kashi cinnamon harvest (blame it on Amanda's influence! In fact I still have an unopened box of Dr. Oz's buckwheat flakes)
• 71% Ecuador dark chocolate block (Montezuma)
• Swiss farmer rolls (Swiss Bake) - 1/2 price!
• Pacific Almond milk (unsweetened) [couldn't bring myself to splurge on Silk's almond milk]
• Flavour Fall pluots - 1/2 price and in rather good condition still!
• Wild sockeye salmon [omegas yum!]

I think what put in a such a good mood was really today's breakfast: (last of) rolled oats (Binda Valley) cooked in unsweetened soy milk (Natura), sweetened with 1/2 mashed nana and raisins, upped with protein powder (Lifetime Life's Basic protein - the most neutral flavour thus far, compared to Sunwarrior and Vega Health Optimizer) and protein blend (real good food), spiced with cinnamon and chocolate chili and dressed with chocolate hazelnut butter (Justin's). A double whammy of chocolate would be bound to deliver a double whammy of endorphins and it sure did!

And then it was home sweet home. Managed to be a good girl and squeeze in a bit of work before spending ~2 hours (!) cooking and eating lunch, which was a ooey gooey curry & cumin bean stew (BRM whole grains and beans soup mix) with torned tortilla pieces, avocado, sardines (Boiromar), curly lettuce, cucumber, tomato, honey goat's cheese (Delamere) and beetroot relish.

A Jaffa sweetie (pomelo x grapefuruit) to end the meal. Guess what was found on Pubmed:

All applied methods showed that sweeties had higher antioxidative activity than grapefruit. Experiments on laboratory animals show that diets supplemented with sweeties, and to a lesser extent with grapefruit, increased the plasma antioxidative potential and improved the lipid metabolism, especially in the rats fed with added cholesterol.

Apparently a sweetie has more antioxidants than a grapefruit!

Lately people's been asking what I plan to do after I graduate. My PI is persuading me to consider PhD at TLL. For once, I really don't know what should my next step in life; so far it's been pretty straightforward: pri > sec > jc > uni, with the choice of school's quite [re-determined too. Pray for God's guidance in this.

0 Pollen pleases with much pleasures

We had an amazing afternoon at Gardens by the Bay, starting with a fancy lunch at Pollen. The Mediterranean-European restaurant, helmed by British Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton, was a perfect match to my dining preferences; it joined my radar list the moment I read about its opening a few months ago. I'm really thankful that the family could have a nice lunch together, a rare event these days, in the comforts of the majestic Flower Dome. The food was nothing short of awesome. Every dish was not only perfect balance of flavours, textures, but beautifully plated. The set lunch at 55 pax is quite a good steal, considering you'd get free entry into the Flower Dome, which would otherwise cost 12 bucks.

Rye sourdough with codiments: cod-potato dip and green olives

Roasted beetroot, goats cheese and beet leaves. Beets and goats cheese are a classic pairing but they are paired for a reason. The earthy tones of the roasted beets (which came in purple, golden and orange) accentuated the creamy sweets notes of the goats cheese. Simple yet satisfying.

Smoked salmon with wasabi-like accompainment. Have you ever seen such a hunk of smoked salmon? I'd imagine thin slices of salty salmon a la carpaccio-style, but this meaty slab delivered a pleasant surprise. I had a slice of Mum's salmon; lightly smoked and not too heavy-handed on the salt (my pet peeve of smoked salmon), the flesh was between a raw and flaky texture. This would definitely provide the daily recommended dose of omega-3.

Pan-seard John Dory, prawn minestrone, baby courgettes, coco beans and edamame. Although slightly disappointed the cod was not on the menu, the pan-seared John Dory did not disappoint. The execution of the searing could not be more perfectly done; it yielded a skin so crisp you could feel it crackle at the slightest pressure, unveiling smooth tender flaky white flesh. It's so easy to overcook white fish, but as mentioned, the timing here couldn't be better (I'd imagine the chef had a ticking timer beside him!). The foamed sauce of prawn minestrone was poured over the fish upon serving; it looks deceptively light, but was potent with the umami taste of the crustaceans. I loved the beans and edamame that came with it. Overall, a stunning fish dish.

Most awesome risotto ever: turffle & sorrel risotto. It was creamy but not heavy (no jer lak aftermath) and bursting with mushrooms and truffle jus! I shared this and the John Dory with my sister, so we could enjoy the best of both worlds :)

All good things must come to an end, and the divine desserts helped to end it right, leaving us with sweet memories (pun intended).

Peanut butter and cherry yuzu sorbet. It was my first time having desserts in a deconstructed form, so I wasn't sure if the different components were meant to be enjoyed separately or combined into a mess. So I sampled the them individually first: the cherry yuzu sorbet was tart but refreshing. The "peanut" part of the dessert was delivered in multifarious forms - as a peanut mousse, peanut parfait, peanut crocante and crunchy peanut butter - which resulted in a complex but complementary play of tart and sweet, smooth and crunchy.

You may need an acquired taste to enjoy the goats cheese ice cream, but I'm sure no one can deny on the artistic appeal of this dessert. So pretty and pink!

Chocolate roast cocoa nib ice cream, lavender parfait and cherry. Again I had a bit of Mum's dessert; the crushed cocoa nibs with ice cream reminded me of oreos atas style. This was on the sweeter side compared to other desserts, but still oh-so-good.

Overall, this was one of the most memorable meals I had, for the food, company and ambience. Delivering fresh and clean flavours amid a modern flowery setting, I look forward to many more returns - if only I had the money. (Total bill racked up to approx 300 for 4, thanks to the charges for the bottled water.)

Some pictures of the setting:

After that we had a walk around the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, which will be featured in the next post!

0 Night fest 2012

I found this year's Night Festival slightly underwhelming. On the good side, I think there was a wider selection of more accessible (i.e. not so 'artsy') programmes such in the music genre (beat-boxing, rapping, samba, acapella). I remember lots of folksy tunes from last year's night fest, mainly by foreign artistes, which may not be highly appealing to the common man.

On the other hand, the experience of the highlight performances by Argentinian group Fuerzabruta fell short of my expectations. La Argentina was merely a dancer swinging in the air supported by a crane, looking/acting to be superbly happy while dishing out confetti and glitter as she cruised along Armenian St. The floating pool performance was marred by horrid lighting and poor sound systems. I caught only the last bit of the silver curtain one and that may be slightly better. But overall, spending a night out was still better than staying home.

I had a nice [tropical] start to Sunday with durian-coconut protein peppy kernels (mix of oats, wheat, barley, rye, millet, sesame). Featuring mao shan wang durian (flesh of 2 seeds), Artisana cacao bliss, Bob's peppy kernels and Vega Complete Health Optimizer, topped with coconut flakes. The texture was lovely - creamy from the durian and protein powder, yet slightly crunchy from the mixed grains. But it barely tide me over. I felt hungry again 1.5 hours later, a (happy) problem of late. Despite excessive consumption of durians (11 seeds so far) and what-not over the past few days, my stomach is becoming a bottomless pit. But I don't know where all those calories go; clearly not onto my body.

I read that puffed grains is quite toxic due to the protein extrusion caused by the high heat and pressure of puffing. And I just bought a box of Kashi's 7-whole grain puffs.

0 Tofuel: tofu fuel

I was so bowled over by the divine experience of the tofu pudding that I just had to make it again. This time, the base was the same (Morinu firm tofu, 3/4 frozen nana, chocolate mole powder), but I changed the source of protein. Specifically, this morning's one features Vega Complete Health Optimizer (natural flavor) which explains the bile-like, greenish appearance of the pudding. But looks are deceiving; this was one delicious, thick creamy pudding, with a block of chili cherry Chocolove to boot!

The Vega protein powder is derived from a mix of plant sources. Hemp is at the top of the ingredient list, which presumably contributed to the grassy smell/taste of the powder. There's also pea and brown rice protein in there. Compared to Sunwarrior, Vega has a more assertive presence. I quite like the grassy taste of it (something like Amazing Grass powder but less vile) but if you don't, Vega's definitely not for you. Both Vega and Sunwarrior have similar dissolvability. No problems with texture for both brands. The serving scoop provided was humongous (like the size of 3 tbsp?). The recommended serving is 2 (humongous) scoops, which gives 220 kcal and 26g protein, but I only used 1/2 scoop (=1/4 serving) for the tofu pudding, which was satisfying enough.

Apart from the tofu pudding, breakfast featured a tofu (beancurd) tart from Le Cafe. Talk about tofu fuel! It's similar to egg tart in appearance, but much lighter on the tastebuds. Imagine firm tau huay encased in a buttery digestive biscuit-like crust. It's not sweet, and that's what I like about it. If you noticed, there's an absence of oatmeal in today's breakfast. I unwillingly admit that over the years of nearly-daily oatmeal breakfasts, perhaps my tastebuds have become a little bored and jaded. Maybe it's not so much that I love oatmeal but the comfort the "safety" brings. Time to listen to inner cravings and honour the mind & body.

Lunch was also fueled by tofu - Amy's Indian wrap featuring spinach and tofu. I think "Indian" is a misnomer because its non-spicy at all and I wouldn't associate the taste of the wrap with Indian cuisine (e.g. no curry flavour). Nevertheless, the spinach was creamy and the blocks of tofu provided textural variations. Frozen fast food can be so good.

Amid all these, I was rushing to complete my 3-pg essay on pain/hyperalgesia, which I had spent is disproportionate amount of time for 15 marks. That's always the case isn't it? Don't know why I have to be so perfectionist and precise with my wordings. I left house in a hurry at 4.05pm, hoping to make it to school by 5pm (deadline). It must be through the hand of God that Mum's car miraculously appeared as I was running to the MRT station. She drove me to school and back!

The past few days have been relatively relaxed, mostly just completing confocal for lab because I've finished the dissection (except for lethal NICD crosses). Also lectures were canceled either due to tutorial/SDL or for no reason at all. In fact come to think of it, I only attended a grand total of one tutorial this week i.e. 2 h of school for the entire week! It's back to the grind starting next week, with CA on 8 sep, sadly.

Next week will be when I will turn 22 (sobs). I will be fulfilling my dreams of going to Gardens by the Bay and dining at Pollen!

0 Chocolate mole banana tofu soft serve

After months (years) from procrastination, I finally took out the food processor from the depths of the kitchen cupboards. Dusting off the layer of fine dust that had settled from under-usage, I set to create the much anticipated banana tofu soft serve.

This morning was a good lesson why you should never procrastinate - you'd end up missing up lots of good things in life!

I can't believe how such a simple no fuss recipe (if you can even call it a recipe) can yield such amazing wondrous results in less than a minute (or five if you consider washing up.) Thick, utterly smooth and completely flexible, tofu soft serves are definitely going to make more appearances (and so put my food processor to good use too!)

Chocolate mole banana tofu soft serve (serves one)

Ingredients

• 1/2 frozen banana, sliced
• 1/4 package firm tofu (I used Moringaga; silken would work too but probably would yield a slightly less thick texture)
• 1 tbsp chocolate mole powder (or 1 tbsp cocoa powder)
• 1 scoop protein powder (optional; I used Sunwarrior natural)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor, blend.
2. Serve immediately or chill/freeze if you want a more ice-cream-style dessert

Recently, I'e been enjoying lots of fancy nut butter products too, including PB&Co cinnamon raisin swirl (so-so; good for a bit of indulgence); Woodstock farm creamy almond butter; Artisana cacao bliss (will please coconut fans, 2nd order from iHerb!); and Arrowhead Mills crunchy peanut butter (PB will always be my first love). From iHerb I also got Vega complete optimizer (natural) which was 60% off! So happy with the great deal! Shipment was faster this time round, taking about 2.5 weeks. I also got Chocolove chocolate with cherries and chilis. Chocolate mole is my new favorite flavour. The Mexicans have nailed it right!

Finally, last weekend I bought Nancy's kefir (beverage made from fermenting kefir grains in milk) and Kashi's seven whole grain puffs. Kefir's not cheap but the tangyness and benefits of it is far superior than any yogurt drink; can't be beat. Off to complete my to-be-due-soon essay!

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!

3 Double chocolate & cherry baked oatmeal

Good things will come to those who wait. And 30 mins is perfectly reasonable time for the reward of a hot creamy, chewy, melty [and healthy] bowl of double chocolate and cherry bliss. Breakfast today was a an event I never wanted to end.

On some days we just need a mood booster. Where else to turn but chocolate? In fact, chocolate is the most frequently craved food in North America, with 40% of women and 15% of men expressing yearnings. The psychopharmacologic effects of chocolate can be attributed to its composition of more than 400 distinct substances including theobromine (CNS stimulant), anandamide (endogenous cannabinoid; cannabis), phenylethylamine, (amphetamine-like stimulant; marijuana) and caffeine. However, given the minute amounts of these psychoactive substances, other researchers have suggested that that orosensory, rather than pharmacological, effects are primarily involved in chocolate craving (think of the satisfaction from oozy, melt-in the-mouth effect).

Regardless of the source of craving, we know that chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, opiate hormones that generates feelings of pleasure and well being. Also, tryptophan in chocolate is the precursor of serotonin, the "happy" neurotransmitter.

Beyond the mind, cocoa flavonoids have antioxidant properties and promote cardiovascular health (reduce the risk of heart disease, blood pressure, inflammation, platelet clotting and stroke), although it is also said that the processing of cocoa would destroy the flavanols. Cocoa is also rich in magnesium and copper, both essential to bone health, cell function and neurotransmitters. In corollary, with dark chocolate having a higher cocoa content, it offers more of these benefits than milk/white chocolate.

Of course, for all its virtues, you can't run away from the fact that chocolate is still pretty high in calories, fats (from cocoa butter) and sugar. But do we really have to boggle our minds with so much good vs bad information? I say, a nugget of chocolate once in a while is worth the indulgence. And most importantly, choose high quality dark chocolate (like Valrhona), generally more than 70% cocoa, for greatest satisfaction, contentment and pleasure!

Double chocolate & cherry baked oatmeal
Yield: 1 comforting bowl

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 tbsp steel cut oats (Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/4 cup boiling hot water
• 1/4 cup chocolate rice milk (or other milk/non-dairy milk)
• 1/4 cup red cherries, pitted and chopped (about 4 large cherries)
• 1 scoop protein powder (optional)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Dashes of cinnamon & nutmeg
• 1 square high quality dark chocolate (Valrhona Guanaja 70% cocoa)

Directions

1. Place oats into a oven-safe bowl. Pour hot water over oats and let soak overnight.
2. Next morning, preheat oven to 180C (350F).
3. To the soaked oats, add chocolate milk, cherries, protein powder (if using), vanilla extract and spices. Stir well. Then place the square of chocolate in the middle of the mixture.
4. Place in oven and bake 30-40 min until thick and bubbly!

This was so awesomely chocolatey good! The idea was to melt the square of [hidden] Valrhona chocolate a la molten lava cake. It appeared that not only did the chocolate melt, but also separated from the rest of the ingredients and rose to the top, forming a layer of chocolate film over the oats. I wonder why is it so, like does chocolate have a lower density or what? Anyhow, the bitterness of the chocolate did well to highlight the sweetness of the cherries, although it may sound quite contradictory. Halfway through I nicked some Coconut Cashew Dream, and then a few pieces of walnuts 'cause I'm fickle. A bit of trivia, I got the Valrhona chocolate from ThreeSixty (Ion Orchard) at a steal of 2-for-1!

References
Corti, R., et al. (2009). Contemporary reviews in cardiovascular medicine. Cocoa and cardiovascular health. Circulation 119: 1433-41.
Dyer, K.A. (2006). Chocolate: Good for the Mind & Spirit. Medical Wellness Archives 3.
Yanovski, S. (2003). Sugar and fat: cravings and aversions. Journal of Nutrition 133: 835S-37S.

2 Harnessing the power of dollars

We all know it's in to be 'green.' Buy local. Eat sustainable. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Taglines are abound, but have these mantras actually been translated into actions? On my part, I do try to make green efforts such as bringing my own shopping bags but beyond that, not much. Which is why I decided to take up the Mindful Consumption challenge as part of the 2012 DIY Lifestyle challenge.

The DIY lifestyle challenge is the brainchild of Evon, a graphic designer and final year student at NTU School of Art, Design and Media. This project, which doubles up as her final year project, aims to inculcate sustainable lifestyle choices in urban dwellers. (If only my FYP can be as cool as hers!) There are four specific challenges in the series, targeting different aspects of DIY in every day lives: Food, Commute, Making and Mindful Consumption. I chose the latter.

Mindful consumption is about being constantly aware of the things we consume and spend money on can affects us, the community, society and the planet. It dose not only refer to the food we eat, but the TV we watch, and even the conversations we partake it. Anyway, here's what I have to do for the Mindful Consumption challenge (which has a more specific focus on tangible consumption):

• Snap a photo of everything you spend money on every day for seven days (i.e. food, clothes etc.)
• Keep a consumption diary, tracking what you bought every day and how much you spent.
• Document the above with pictures/videos and upload them in a new album on Facebook, tagging at least 3 friends

Tips are provided on the website, such as buying local, second-hand, and recyclable products, and stopping to think if "I really really need this" before buying.

Here's the breakdown for challenge Day 1 (mostly, no actually all food):

Item	Brand	Bought from	Country of origin
Steel cut oats	Bob's Red Mill	Brown Rice Paradise	US
Chocolate rice milk	Rice Dream	MarketPlace	US
Protein powder	Right 4 Your Type	Clinic	US
Pomegranate	-	Cold Storage	Australia
Coconut cashew dream	Loving Earth	Real Food Grocer	Australia
Ensure Plus	Ensure Plus	Pharmacy	Ireland
Roast chicken set lunch	-	Han's	Unknown
Royal Gala apples	-	Cold Storage	US
Red cherries	-	Cold Storage	US
Green bell pepper	-	Cold Storage	Malaysia?
Coriander	-	Cold Storage	Malaysia
Jazz apple	-	Cold Storage	US
Salmon	-	NTUC	Atlantic ocean?

Wow! I really ought to hang my head in shame. My food comes from all sorts of far-flung places except local soil. My carbon footprint must be as huge as a dinosaur's one. It doesn't help that Singapore virtually has nil farms. At least it's good to know that Bob's Red Mill is a small business in Oregon (started as family-run but recently turned employee-owned) and not to mention their steel cut oats have cinched the Golden Spurtle Awards How cute is that? I think I could try to switch to local soy milk although I find the taste vastly different from Silk soy; it has a very strong beany taste. Or am I just being atas? As far as fruits go, US apples are by far the best (Jazz, Fuji, Granny Smith, Ambrosia, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady). Sure China has Fuji too, and thus more 'regional,' but it's just inferior in taste (watery apples anyone?)

It's so difficult to strike a balance between local, organic, quality and variety. Of course the ideal situation would be local and organic, of high quality and great variety. I think Day 1 of this exercise has revealed a lot of points to ponder upon, and that this following week will uncover even more of the politics of consumption.

4 Sign me up

I persuaded Mum to sign up for Biblethon, a church effort to handwrite the whole Bible. Yep you heard that right. It's a three-prong exercise to celebrate our church (Wesley) upgrading project, to emphasise spiritual building (and not just building of physical structures), and to reinforce this year's theme of 'Speak Good Bible'. We each get 15 minutes to write a number of verses, and the final handwritten Bible will be displayed at the church's archives. I think it's quite an innovative idea to bring people together. I also signed up for a talk called 'How Do I Know God's Will?' Everybody faces some identity crisis now and then, and since it's only two hours and at a reasonable price, I thought it wouldn't hurt to go. It will be my first time attending a church talk though.

Did some atas grocery shopping which put me in a very good mood, albeit significantly poorer. ThreeSixty at Ion has spruced up its line of products; it's range is now even more exclusive - and expensive. Extra virgin olive oils, authentic balsamic vinegars (from the region of Modena or Emilia Reggio and aged at least 12 years), Japanese mini-watermelons at 38 bucks and a mango at freakish 128 bucks! The cheapo me bought varlhona guanaja (70% dark chocolate) just because it was going 2 for the price of 1. I also bought a jar of dried porcini mushrooms which would come in very handy for risottos and soups, and a mini jar of fig jam by Hediard. At realfoodgrocer (Killiney Road), I finally found coconut cashew cream. Coconut oil is now sold at many places including specialty supermarts, but coconut butter is still a tough find. I have yet to find pure coconut butter (without mixing with other nuts).

And last but not least, a very stimulating breakfast that I had this morning, both in terms of color and taste. All my favorite ingredients in a bowl!

Should I or should I not volunteer for SIWW?

0 Toxic alcoholic

I'm drunk with glee.

Okay, maybe not glee, but there's above average levels of C2H5OH in my system now. First, I made white wine (Jacob's Creek chardonnay) risotto for dinner, using herbal chicken soup as stock and dressed up with frozen veg and grilled teriyaki mackerel. This couldn't be a finer example of fusion cuisine - Italian, Chinese and Japanese. You may scrunch up your nose in disgust (or abhorrence) and the unusual mix of ingredients - would it even work? - and I wouldn't blame you. I, too, was apprehensive at how my dinner would turn out. Truthfully, it tasted more like chewy-rice-in-a-semi-sweet-broth than risotto. I think my Arborio rice is expired and that's why it just wouldn't cream up; or maybe I coated it too long in the beginning.

But I have to get back to my alcoholic imbibe. After the risotto, I had a mouthful of Da Paolo's tiramisu, which is supposedly to be very good. I can't say if it held up to the authentic standards of 'tiramisu,' but it was very light and rich in bitter chocolate - and the strong whiff of alcohol, of course.

My "third course" of alcohol came in a potent dose Remy Martin cognac-filled chocolate by Anthon Berg. It's presentation was very cute; mini-chocolate bottles wrapped in the brand's signature packaging. The chocolates held the cognac inside, which burst forth generously when you bite open the chocolate. Phew! Like a shot.

Much to do, as always, so good bye!

1 Fragments of thoughts

I want to experiment with sous vide - eggs, salmon, chicken breast.

I want to whip up a mean white wine seafood pasta (shrimp, scallops etc.).
[Yesterday's squid ink pasta with cod and tobiko in Chreese sauce was nothing short of awesome, but it's not counted, because after all, it's from a package.]

I want to have a laid-back brunch - ricotta pancakes at Skyvve, blueberry pancakes at Rider's cafe, Californian at Wild Honey.

I want to eat cake - strawberry shortcake from Flor.

I want to enjoy nature - Punggol Waterfront.

I want to do photostories - Nikon 7000.

I want to do everything but study for tomorrow's test, Thursday's Immunology, look at the Scratch program, continue writing my essay which I have not touched for 6 weeks or so, do lab report.

For breakfast, I had the last of my steel cutters baked (~1 tbsp), added protein powder and a ball of chocolate spread 3/4 way through, topped with Carman's oats and amaranth muesli. As always, leave the best to the last; scrape around the edges, moving inwards, so that eventually you'll end up with a dark semi-solid, semi-liquid orb of viscous matter - dark, rich bitter warm chocolate that sensuously coats your tongue as you imbibe.

Today I bought wholemeal ciabatta from Cedele and had a tuna 'wich, half with garlic piccanti and the other half with beetroot chutney. Somehow, both tasted similar - vineargy and oniony. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of garlic and beetroot?

I got back two major assignments today - Heritage essay and com sci tutorials. Both were done well, I say. But in return, I get slapped with two CAs this week.

Bye and off to study.

0 Tale of two

Delirious, I tell you. I strategically placed half of a Justin's Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Cup on a bed on steaming hot Sweet Tentation pear steel cutters, then poured the remaining layer of oats over it. You get the idea - choc + heat = melted puddle of choc. But it's not just any chocolate puddle, it's a chocolate puddle encasing an inner puddle of salt-kissed peanut butter, sitting like a golden orb in the center of a bowl of oatmeal. Finally reaching that layer is tantamount to striking gold! That sent shivers down my spine, toes curling in delight. Oh my! Even saying the word peanut butter cup is so cute!

...and the Campagne bread from Maison Kayser. It harks back to the (sample) bread I had at Whole Foods back in London - springy, holey innards in a chewy crust. I can imagine it going so well with EVOO and balsamic vinegar. Or soup. To let the bread and its texture shine, I had this simple with shmeared avocado, poached egg whites topped with blacked pepper and paprika. Bread at its epitome.

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If there is one thing I learnt in CS&IT today in my half-awake state, it is the concept of decomposition, and more importantly, it's usefulness and applications in daily life.

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I got two free mandarian oranges and a free fuji apple today! :)