tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45774079590391286872024-03-14T03:57:43.074+08:00Wend RightFood, travel, explore. Do it right.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-53033696404904063832015-05-23T11:26:00.001+08:002015-05-23T11:26:48.741+08:00Moving on to...https://wendright.wordpress.com/<br />
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Because I like working off Windows Live Writer.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-74630760048755670782014-10-11T08:39:00.001+08:002014-10-11T08:39:37.170+08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWs4QBIWAo5M8zGY68iEkXKTTbeHvHp1Nl87V5HD7K5ygv5NFwF3CYUSfeec2yO-25Ah1G15-bkduwwaWSiXRKNATy2mFFdCSBRUiF01yCVRXb52oEBig8crel_N9lfC7bi6x8zZltZAC8/s1600/war+and+peace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWs4QBIWAo5M8zGY68iEkXKTTbeHvHp1Nl87V5HD7K5ygv5NFwF3CYUSfeec2yO-25Ah1G15-bkduwwaWSiXRKNATy2mFFdCSBRUiF01yCVRXb52oEBig8crel_N9lfC7bi6x8zZltZAC8/s1600/war+and+peace.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Quite true. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-56937516674020343672014-06-28T10:47:00.001+08:002014-06-28T10:47:56.251+08:00Exercise: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)Friends swear by it. Lance Armstrong loves it. Fighters do it. I do it and end up crawling my way home.<br />
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This is High Intensity Interval Training (or another fancy way of saying Pylometrics). Y'know, jumping like a monkey or lifting stuff in a short time. Anyways, it works. I feel great and I'm looking for ways to make it a helluva interesting -- albeit painful -- exercise. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.muscleandfitness.com/sites/muscleandfitness.com/files/styles/650x360_rotator/public/HIIT_0.jpg?itok=bId8UT70" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.muscleandfitness.com/sites/muscleandfitness.com/files/styles/650x360_rotator/public/HIIT_0.jpg?itok=bId8UT70" height="220" width="400" /></a></div>
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So I've been experimenting and have found these 3 routines that made me wanna puke without killing my knee and back.<br />
Each routine set consists of 4 exercises. Do each exercise within 30 sec, with a rest time of 60 sec at the end of the set. Do 10 sets if possible. If not, do at least 6 sets and work your way up to 10. <br />
<h3>
Routine 1</h3>
<ul>
<li>10 X Burpees & Hops </li>
<li>10 X Clap Push Ups </li>
<li>5m Bear Crawl </li>
<li>10 X Kettlebell swing (20kg) </li>
</ul>
<div>
<h3>
Routine 2</h3>
<ul>
<li>10 X Burpees & Hops </li>
<li>10 X Clap Push Ups </li>
<li>10 X Wide Pull ups (reduce by 1 for every succeeding set. E.g. set 2: 9 X pull ups) </li>
<li>1 X Full court fast break (or sprint 50m thereabouts) </li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3>
Routine 3</h3>
<ul>
<li>5 X Twisting Lunges (20kg)</li>
<li>10 X Kettlebell 1-arm swings (20kg) </li>
<li>5m Lizard Crawl </li>
<li>15 X Duck & Hook (Bagwork: Jab & Cross is OK)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-84328844657727378632014-03-02T12:25:00.001+08:002014-03-02T12:25:55.564+08:00Food Experiment #8: Beef Steak<p>So… beef again. This time my dad bought 2kg worth of steaks. Each one’s easily 2 inches thick and 500 grams heavy. </p> <p>Massive lah. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5zipA9n-dXw/UxKyruH6iCI/AAAAAAAACuI/GlR57K_9l3s/s1600-h/P_20140301_1810395.jpg"><img title="P_20140301_181039" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20140301_181039" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-m909GlbhggM/UxKysvM7g-I/AAAAAAAACuQ/vRo9iVT84Yc/P_20140301_181039_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p>Since it’s been sitting in the freezer for 1 week, I thought I’d give the steaks a go and pan fry them into caramel town. </p> <h3>You’ll Need These Ingredients </h3> <ul> <li>Beef Steak (what else!)</li> <li>Salt</li></ul> <h3>Instructions and “Did it Work?”</h3> <h4>1. Prepping the Steak</h4> <p>Take out of freezer. Thaw. Sprinkle salt. Leave to dry and drain.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-WlpFniHIskI/UxKytpDC6cI/AAAAAAAACuY/Gsd-7RcOtcg/s1600-h/P_20140301_173317%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="P_20140301_173317" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20140301_173317" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jLZeIFxAMcg/UxKyufeXXjI/AAAAAAAACug/1JGXxhbze3Q/P_20140301_173317_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <h3>2. Making the Steak </h3> <p>I like to sear the outside then turn down the heat to cook the steaks. I do this 2 steaks at a time, because I don’t have all that much space on my wok. For a 2-inch steak, I’d budget 2 mins for each side. </p> <p>The process goes like:</p> <ol> <li>Heat the wok on High heat. </li> <li>Put the steaks fat-side down onto the wok. Do not add oil. The oils will be drawn out onto the wok as the fat cooks. (2 min)</li> <li>Flip the steaks onto 1 side. Let it sizzle (2 min)<br><br><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-HHRgcGcrxRI/UxKyvct7JmI/AAAAAAAACuo/62L2gdOgOTU/s1600-h/P_20140301_173856%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="P_20140301_173856" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20140301_173856" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-79tnzWMHNLk/UxKywdJWGsI/AAAAAAAACuw/uWvFKhRFvEE/P_20140301_173856_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="495" height="660"></a></li> <li>Flip it over to the other side. Let it sizzle for another 2 min.<br><br><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-DA5HsvpmOR8/UxKyxRwjekI/AAAAAAAACu4/mB1v5l6xQn4/s1600-h/P_20140301_174536%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="P_20140301_174536" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="P_20140301_174536" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GuZr2L-Sb7M/UxKyygE8guI/AAAAAAAACvA/ve7dW_k1IPk/P_20140301_174536_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" align="left" height="398"></a></li> <li>Flip the steaks over again. Turn down the heat to medium. Let it cook for 2 min. Do the same for the other side. </li></ol> <p>I like my steaks medium rare to rare. As a rule of thumb, I compare the steak against the muscle under my thumb… like so in the infographic below:</p> <blockquote> <p><img style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/17kvspmki1tjwpng.png"><em>Source: </em><a href="http://lifehacker.com/5905705/how-to-properly-cook-a-steak-in-your-kitchen" target="_blank"><em>Lifehacker</em></a></p></blockquote> <p>Once cooked to your liking, leave the steaks aside for 3 to 5 min before eating. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0xi_xcgosYE/UxKyzQmmf3I/AAAAAAAACvI/qCE6QOSh-sM/s1600-h/P_20140301_175323%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="P_20140301_175323" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20140301_175323" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8vR_wv8GOKU/UxKy0adoi1I/AAAAAAAACvQ/aNy3AA3ZNVY/P_20140301_175323_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="454"></a></p> <h3>Verdict </h3> <p>This works!</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-16510785594482281882014-02-23T18:00:00.001+08:002014-02-23T18:04:03.315+08:00Exercise: Pulls up & Pylometric Pull ups<p>I love pulls ups. I hated them during the army. But as with most things, the more you do, the better you get, the more you prefer it. </p> <p><em><img style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" src="http://www.wellbuiltstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/wide-grip-pullups-back1.jpg" width="483" height="308"></em><em>(Source: </em><a href="http://www.wellbuiltstyle.com/how-to-increase-your-pull-up-strength/" target="_blank"><em>Well Built Style</em></a><em>)</em></p> <p>Anyways, the pull up – simple as it is – works the upper back like no other exercise. I’d actually recommend doing pull ups over Lat Pull Downs or other upper back exercises. </p> <p>If you are incorporating pull ups into your routine, go beyond the standard wide-grip pull up and incorporate things like L-pull ups, Commando pull-ups or, my current favourite, pylometric close-to-wide-grip pull ups. </p> <h3>The Routine: </h3> <ul> <li>4 X 10 Pylometric Pull Ups <li>2 X Suicide Drills <li>1 X 10 Hang Cleans <li>1 X 10 Shoulder Presses </li></ul> <h3>Exercise of the day: Close to Wide Grip Pylometric Pull Ups</h3><iframe height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Rkau_qa3xNI?t=2m29s" frameborder="0" width="560" allowfullscreen></iframe> <p>Go to <em>3.02 mark</em> to see examples of it. </p> <p>More good pull up variations at <a href="http://boultertraining.com/advanced-pull-up-variations/" target="_blank">Boulter Training</a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-68227507465983637782014-02-02T13:05:00.001+08:002014-02-02T13:21:47.150+08:00Food Experiment #7: Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee<p>I’m sick of roasting stuff. Hence this Food Experiment. The Hokkien Prawn Mee. </p> <p>This dish is a staple in Singapore’s Hawker Centres and, if done well, it should taste of prawns infused into the thick yellow and white noodles. So much so that it should be gravy-slurping good. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-eQhlbaisua8/Uu3Rj_twLjI/AAAAAAAACqA/HjKXMrz9qUM/s1600-h/P_20140130_120129%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fxA0nsrOisk/Uu3RlEmuJRI/AAAAAAAACqI/hyHX4vi9c_E/P_20140130_120129_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p>As with all food experiments, this is my first time making it. It wasn’t too bad, but lacked bite – more in the verdict. </p> <p>I found the original recipe from <a title="Singapore Hokkien Prawn Mee Recipe" href="http://www.mywoklife.com/2013/01/singapore-hokkien-prawn-mee.html" target="_blank">My Wok Life</a></p> <h3><font style="font-weight: bold">You’ll Need These </font><font style="font-weight: bold">Ingredients:</font></h3> <h4>For the Stock</h4> <ul> <li>Prawns, lots of prawns <li>Ikan Billis </li></ul> <h4>For the Dish</h4> <ul> <li>250g of yellow noodles <li>250g of white bee hoon <li>Prawns, lots of prawns <li>Beansprouts, lots of it ‘cause I love vegetables <li>150g of pork belly <li>2 eggs, beaten </li></ul> <h4>For the Flavouring </h4> <ul> <li>2 garlic cloves <li>4 tablespoons Thai fish sauce <li>Pinch of salt <li>1 tablespoon of sesame oil </li> <li>1 tablespoon of light soy sauce </li> <li>120ml of oil</li></ul> <h3><font style="font-weight: bold">Instructions and “Did it Work?” </font></h3> <h4>1. Prepping the Foods </h4> <p>Shell and devein the prawns. Keep the shells for making stock. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-BjrBZLo3_MY/Uu3RmDsAQ3I/AAAAAAAACqQ/Mxv6-gNsTDk/s1600-h/P_20140130_100017%25255B18%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Prawns" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Prawns" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Blvad-Q3_Qc/Uu3Rm1h-14I/AAAAAAAACqY/I1z1u17VIIU/P_20140130_100017_thumb%25255B12%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="262" height="361"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-BMkPy8oados/Uu3Rn_Az0eI/AAAAAAAACqg/on2jP0h-hCc/s1600-h/P_20140130_101831%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Prawns, shelled and deveined" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Prawns, shelled and deveined" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wA7tC0AO2Aw/Uu3Roe98Q1I/AAAAAAAACqo/yXQM9mvOO9c/P_20140130_101831_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="282" height="362"></a></p> <p><strong>Tip: </strong>I usually start working on them once they’re out of the freezer. If you’re not masochistic, thaw them out first before decapitation and shelling. </p> <p>Cut up the pork belly into thin columns. Firstly, cut the pork belly into slices, then cut them up into small long columns. </p> <p>My Wok Life (see link above) details how to make Pork Lard. But I gave it a miss. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Ow4QZGsOq_Y/Uu3Rpbt9-1I/AAAAAAAACqw/ZjGsCGBTqNA/s1600-h/P_20140130_102327%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Pork Belly, sliced " style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Pork Belly, sliced " src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-cTjwn_Anp28/Uu3RqEUmGlI/AAAAAAAACq4/MWkge5bCwBo/P_20140130_102327_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="351"></a></p> <p>Wash the beansprouts and Ikan Billis. Pick out the blackheads from the bean sprouts. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-AfwP456TNtY/Uu3RrTsUbnI/AAAAAAAACrA/auyvXp_7Zms/s1600-h/P_20140130_102027%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Beansprouts" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Beansprouts" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-i-llE-eHO6I/Uu3RsDArfRI/AAAAAAAACrI/dK7Tg-t1Wj8/P_20140130_102027_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-nDgZB0iI4LU/Uu3RtToK7WI/AAAAAAAACrQ/wPTD0UaQvsc/s1600-h/P_20140130_102033%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Ikan Billis, stock" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Ikan Billis, stock" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-5NUFMCNRNlw/Uu3RuZo3F5I/AAAAAAAACrY/TfRX1kKoil8/P_20140130_102033_thumb%25255B16%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="386"></a></p> <h4>2. Making the Stock </h4> <p>Heat up the wok with a big fire. Make sure that it’s hot before starting. </p> <p>Dry fry the prawns and Ikan Billis until they’re a little charred. Once it releases the smells – and you’ll know it – add water until it covers the mix. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zg61fYj_G8A/Uu3Rvx1-g3I/AAAAAAAACrg/TWMZ3_OSqCE/s1600-h/P_20140130_103330%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Ikan Billis and prawns, dry fry for stock" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Ikan Billis and prawns, dry fry for stock" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4YYLeo8WOSE/Uu3Rxmaj_SI/AAAAAAAACro/RZ4g-dttsCw/P_20140130_103330_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p>Bring it to a boil and turn down the heat to low. Leave it for 30 min to leech umaminess out of the prawns. Keep an eye on the stock so that it doesn’t dry out. Add more water or reduce the fire.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-67wHaWY54WI/Uu3R05iOvWI/AAAAAAAACrw/Jw8L-t6nvx0/s1600-h/P_20140130_103825%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Ikan Billis and prawns, stock simmer" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Ikan Billis and prawns, stock simmer" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-y1s0Y8nraMQ/Uu3R2punTpI/AAAAAAAACr4/zCGq-wgh6AU/P_20140130_103825_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p>Strain and transfer to a pot or massive bowl. </p> <h4>3. Cooking the Noodles </h4> <p>Yellow noodles are incredibly oily and alkaline tasting. Blanch very quickly (10 sec) in hot water and leave aside to make it lighter. <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OjRx81Fi7dQ/Uu3R4XEn0OI/AAAAAAAACsA/qZbiuvz_qxY/s1600-h/P_20140130_113649%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Yellow noodles, blanch" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Yellow noodles, blanch" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-nMu0SLbudg8/Uu3R6FWpMEI/AAAAAAAACsI/9IN9wZ27q7Y/P_20140130_113649_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a> <p>Heat up the wok on medium heat. Add oil and wait for it to bubble. </p> <p>Add garlic and stir fry until fragrant. Add pork belly slices. Midway through – just when the pork belly starts to cook – add sesame oil and soy sauce for fragrance and wankfull sizzle. </p> <p>Stir fry like you’ve “gone madder than a bastard on Father’s Day” (src: Transmetropolitan). </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-5P3Omz_Xo5k/Uu3R8lZsDkI/AAAAAAAACsQ/FuYef3W5dpg/s1600-h/P_20140130_114152%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - pork belly, stir fry" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - pork belly, stir fry" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Vdf3vPTS120/Uu3R-dRFHQI/AAAAAAAACsY/odRW7MqYAZ4/P_20140130_114152_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p>Add the noodles. Loosen up the noodles, then add the stock. </p> <p><em>* Now I’ve added too much stock for this Food Experiment. Instead of covering the noodles with stock, just add until it’s halfway full. </em></p> <p>Cover the wok and let it simmer on low fire. Every now and then, uncover and flip the noodles around so that the bottom doesn’t stick. </p> <p>We want the noodles to soak up as much of the prawn stock as possible. This should take about 5 minutes.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--7yML4zUEVU/Uu3SAyp9y_I/AAAAAAAACsg/8rN4RA3-9Og/s1600-h/P_20140130_115322%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Hokkien Mee with prawn stock, braise" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Hokkien Mee with prawn stock, braise" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-r0CuABT5Xjs/Uu3SCwZcoKI/AAAAAAAACso/iQ2-qakmhZA/P_20140130_115322_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="364"></a></p> <p>Once done – the stock should be a thick gravy now – turn up the heat to high, add the prawns and bean sprouts. Stir fry until cooked (3 minutes), then add the eggs. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-VmeB2Aa7uro/Uu3SFVw-l2I/AAAAAAAACsw/jmFSt6krM34/s1600-h/P_20140130_120129%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Hokkien Mee with prawns, stir-fry" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Hokkien Mee with prawns, stir-fry" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gkJzLqdo808/Uu3SGTHMu8I/AAAAAAAACs4/dEwFxEKj1NA/P_20140130_120129_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p>Two schools of thought about eggs: </p> <ol> <li>Some say to add and fry immediately</li> <li>Some say to make a space on the wok, fry the eggs and once it’s a little cooked, incorporate it into the noodles. </li></ol> <p>I used the former approach for this Food Experiment. But hey, it’s your call.</p> <p>Once done, plate and serve. The Hokkien Mee should be draped in prawn stock gravy. If not, you’ve overcooked it.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cfaMwOlvOXg/Uu3SHjHtqaI/AAAAAAAACtA/rL8gpyF8QJY/s1600-h/P_20140130_120412%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Hokkien Mee with eggs, stir-fry" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Fried Prawn Hokkien Mee - Hokkien Mee with eggs, stir-fry" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rBuqxTSGyw0/Uu3SIY1n2zI/AAAAAAAACtI/zqwAXR7nG1s/P_20140130_120412_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <h4>Verdict </h4> <p> <p>Making foods over a naked fire is quite different from roasting. It boils down – and not being pun-ny here – to control of the fire itself. The noodles were mushy and full of prawny goodness. </p> <p>But it’s not like the Hokkien Mee served in Hawker Centres. </p> <p>The next effort will include: </p> <ul> <li>Braise the noodles with half of the stock </li> <li>Cook the eggs before incorporating it into the noodles</li></ul> <p>I guess it should work better that way then. </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-26219041060615256382014-01-27T08:49:00.001+08:002014-01-27T08:49:52.925+08:00Senoko Fishery Port & Fish to Scale & Gut<p>We wandered over to Senoko Fishery Port one fine midnight to buy seafood – flash-frozen fish, big ol’ prawns and slimy squid. </p> <p>The haul was for Chinese New Year (the Chinese version of Christmas without religious undertones & oversights) where food, food and gut-bursting food is the norm. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-nPnKytHIhYk/UuWtH8-gUwI/AAAAAAAACo0/c9aVeALkfZs/s1600-h/senoko2%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="senoko2" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="senoko2" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-f-W0jZLaDWw/UuWtIlf_zPI/AAAAAAAACo8/avQdBPAgZ7U/senoko2_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="135" height="240"></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VIC8OiWp9qE/UuWtJrdQpQI/AAAAAAAACpE/vPr2ej_0mZg/s1600-h/senoko%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="senoko" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="senoko" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-pl1ES48EGPE/UuWtKdxx0vI/AAAAAAAACpM/qPbe3Q6ksRQ/senoko_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="136" height="240"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-xmJ4srTn2uM/UuWtLDwz8DI/AAAAAAAACpU/Wc55cVtyI8U/s1600-h/prawn1%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="prawn1" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: 0px" border="0" alt="prawn1" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-WuHBqe4zmtA/UuWtLsRb7FI/AAAAAAAACpc/aJ5NLX4yvQo/prawn1_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="136" height="240"></a><br><strong>Source: </strong>Facebook Friends (like I’ll tell you)</p> <p><strong>My Haul: </strong>1 kg of Tiger prawns, 1 small parrot fish</p> <p>What I wanted to get out of it wasn’t just relatively fresh and relatively cheaper seafood. I wanted to scale, gut and prepare a fish from scratch. </p> <h2>Preparing a Fish</h2> <p>Simple 3-step process: scale, gut, and keep. </p> <p>Images taken from the web.</p> <h3>Scale the Fish</h3> <p><img style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" src="http://dm-asset.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/Img/Deals/13879/main.jpg"></p> <p>Get a fish scale scrapper and run it against the scales to pull them off the fish. Do it all over the fish – head, tail, body, everywhere. You’ll know when it’s done when the fish is smooth all over to touch.</p> <p>This is the messiest step. I do it outdoors now especially after I clogged up the sink with fish scales. </p> <h3>Gut the Fish </h3> <p><img style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.km-fish.dk/pictures_ed/1403%20gutting%20fish%20based.jpg" width="530" height="554"></p> <p>Not for the squeamish. It gets bloody here. I’ve outlined the steps below: </p> <ol> <li><strong>Remove the gills <br></strong>Lift the side flaps on the fish’s head, grab a hold of the gills and yank them out. </li> <li><strong>Slit the fish along the belly </strong><br>Use a short and sharp knife. Cutting through the skin and belly requires effort. Place your hand above the fish, press down on it, and commence slicing. Make sure that your fingers are nowhere near the cutting zone. </li> <li><strong>Open up the fish and pull out its guts</strong><br>Basically reach in and pull out the intestines, liver, ballast pouch etc. I use pliers as it can get slippery. Essentially you’d want a clean, hollowed out fish. </li> <li><strong>Scrape out the blood residue </strong><br>Use a knife or point of a chopper to scrape out the now clotting blood. This helps to reduce the fishy smell and taste. Clean throughly with water. </li></ol> <h3>Keep the Fish</h3> <p>If you’re not using the fish now, sprinkle a little salt inside and outside of the fish, and freeze it. </p> <p>Now that’s how we scale, gut, and clean a fish. </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-40349890536616622102014-01-20T10:00:00.000+08:002014-01-20T13:18:11.658+08:00Food Experiment #6: Porchetta (aka Roast Pork Belly)<p>Zedy and I saw images of Porchetta (like the one below), and we couldn’t get it out of our heads or bellies, for the matter. </p> <p><img title="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - from Iamafoodblog" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - from Iamafoodblog" src="http://iamafoodblog.com/iamablog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/porchetta-86.jpg" width="530" height="356"><br><em>Source: </em><a href="http://iamafoodblog.com/porchetta-recipe/" target="_blank">Iamafoodblog</a></p> <p>As true foodies, we thought: “Let’s make one Porchetta and eat one Porchetta.” Off we went searching for recipes and decided on this really nice step-by-step recipe from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/12/the-food-lab-how-to-make-all-belly-porchetta-the-ultimate-holiday-roast-italian-roast-pork.html" target="_blank">Kenji of Serious Eats</a>. </p> <p>It turned out pretty OK. And we finished it all… At least I think my dinner guests weren’t humouring me. </p> <h3><font style="font-weight: bold">You’ll Need These </font><font style="font-weight: bold">Ingredients:</font></h3> <ul> <li>2 kg of pork belly (remove the hairs on the skin and wash the entire belly in salt water) </li></ul> <h4>For the Marinade </h4> <ul> <li>3 tablespoon of peppercorns (it don’t matter if they’re white or black) <li>5 tablespoon of fennel seeds <li>7 chillies <li>10 garlic cloves, minced <li>1 handful of thyme <li>Lots of sea salt <li>1 tablespoon of baking soda<!--EndFragment--></li></ul> <h3><font style="font-weight: bold">Instructions and “Did it Work?” </font></h3> <h4>1. Make the Marinade</h4> <p>Toast the peppercorns and fennel seeds. Once it turns brown and smells toasty, chuck the lot into a blender (or mortar and pestle) and grind them up into powder.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-nKbUdT3_LHU/Utywq9vVJOI/AAAAAAAACmM/TkR_WSNMvX8/s1600-h/P_20140118_1405358.jpg"><img title="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - peppercorns & fennel seeds" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - peppercorns & fennel seeds" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-C7R5EL9K7us/Utywr3yhQDI/AAAAAAAACmU/MJO14qRfeWI/P_20140118_140535_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p>Mince up garlic, chilli and thyme. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-4C64Mp1jkx4/UtywsrL6ZOI/AAAAAAAACmc/_aYCdZQeLak/s1600-h/P_20140118_13561610.jpg"><img title="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - Garlic and chilli" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - Garlic and chilli" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ZcvuSu9Jupw/UtywtRcNQZI/AAAAAAAACmk/IeKY3ux7P4s/P_20140118_135616_thumb4.jpg?imgmax=800" width="180" height="240"></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mH2tLCjX6wg/UtywujHzxOI/AAAAAAAACms/7JftSRwOHDo/s1600-h/P_20140118_1358016.jpg"><img title="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - Thyme" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - Thyme" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FurikCF9elk/UtywvtpjIyI/AAAAAAAACm0/IlU91r2JYgM/P_20140118_135801_thumb4.jpg?imgmax=800" width="307" height="240"></a></p> <p>Put the minced garlic, chilli, thyme and peppercorn-fennel seed powder on separate plates.</p> <h4>2. Preparing the Roast</h4> <p>Put the pork belly skin-side up. </p> <p>Stab into it with a sharp knife or scissors. This helps to make the skin crispy – at least that’s what my dad says and that’s what the roast meats guy says too. It’s not easy and it feels like I’m stabbing into rubber. </p> <p>Once done, flip the belly so it’s meat-side up. </p> <p>Now slice into the meat in diagonal lines, rotate it, then slice it again in diagonal lines so that you get diamond-shaped cuts on the meat. Try as much as possible to cut into the meat until it reaches the fat. </p> <p>Now the meat’s prepped. </p> <h4>3. Marinade the Roast </h4> <p>All the chilli, garlic, thyme and peppercorn-fennel mix that was ground up earlier now comes in play. Don’t go lightly on the seasoning, I find that heavily-seasoned meats tend to get better taste results. <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-UjhYAA4jUMI/Utyww1O4euI/AAAAAAAACm8/yp3k0_xD_4k/s1600-h/P_20140118_1446125.jpg"><img title="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - After marinating with garlic, chilli, peppercorn-fennel seeds, Thyme (close up)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - After marinating with garlic, chilli, peppercorn-fennel seeds, Thyme (close up)" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Ee-q3R-qulY/Utywx0KA_EI/AAAAAAAACnE/uqKRIgIyWK0/P_20140118_144612_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a> <p>Keeping the pork belly meat-side up, we scatter and rub the spices into the meat and the grooves in this order: <ol> <li>Lots of salt <li>Garlic <li>Chilli <li>Peppercorn-fennel mix <li>Thyme </li></ol> <p>The end result looks like a run-over chia pet. <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XncumlRS1P4/UtywzH2nC7I/AAAAAAAACnM/F_NjDNXO9nw/s1600-h/P_20140118_1446014.jpg"><img title="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - After marinating with garlic, chilli, peppercorn-fennel seeds, Thyme" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - After marinating with garlic, chilli, peppercorn-fennel seeds, Thyme" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-K8hR6xveQAc/Utyw0Bn6kFI/AAAAAAAACnU/wtlHNuTvOfQ/P_20140118_144601_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a> <p>Once happy with chia-ing the meat, roll up the pork belly. </p> <p>I tie up the belly in the middle, then tie up the sides at regular intervals. I like to keep rolls contained within itself, but slicing the meat means that some of the pork loin will spill out on the ends. To rectify it, I tied up the meat lengthwise too.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-J0reQzfPpBI/Utyw1NKXOoI/AAAAAAAACnc/yNEIBrpUxAk/s1600-h/P_20140118_1500426.jpg"><img title="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - Front view" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - Front view" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-W03dtJ-1hsg/Utyw1xxZGsI/AAAAAAAACnk/Kf77q-ypONs/P_20140118_150042_thumb14.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="552"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-k-qmdVoQsv8/Utyw3DDf3fI/AAAAAAAACns/OydjuUnUlsQ/s1600-h/P_20140118_1500076.jpg"><img title="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - Tied Lengthwise" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - Tied Lengthwise" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EMqp9f-UgZc/Utyw3_h1rJI/AAAAAAAACn0/nIgQefDMPSE/P_20140118_150007_thumb8.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="446"></a></p> <p>Final step before the refrigeration, mix 2 tablespoons of salt with the baking soda and rub it liberally onto the pork roll. Wrap the roll with clingwrap and leave it in the fridge overnight.</p> <h4>4. Roast it! </h4> <p>Take out the rolled pork belly. Leave it on the table for 1 hour to let it come to room temperature first. </p> <p>I chucked it into the oven for 160C at 3 hours to slow cook the insides. Watching it spin around and around in the oven is mesmerising. At this point in time, the pork belly looks and feels hard but spongy to touch. </p> <p>Once the bell goes “DING!”, crank up the heat to 250C for 30 min to cackle the skin and give it a brown all-over colour. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-w58MR-oQ6Rs/Utyw5IjgMqI/AAAAAAAACn8/gflRUDEABOs/s1600-h/P_20140119_1832475.jpg"><img title="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - After Roasting, Top View" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - After Roasting, Top View" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9BZ4o4oJ_W0/Utyw6EhYdXI/AAAAAAAACoE/ovCiFv13VNM/P_20140119_183247_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p>After roasting, take it out and sit it for 10 min under an aluminium foil tent.</p> <p align="left">Once 10 min has gone by, start carving the roast into thick, stuff-your-face-in slices. The trick here isn’t to cut from the top (aka the skin) as it’ll break off into shards of cackling. What I did was to flip it so that it faces meat-side up and cleave it into slices. </p> <p align="left">This keeps the skin intact like the picture below.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sX_sj89qATg/Utyw7b5pykI/AAAAAAAACoM/OhVAa5LQTSw/s1600-h/P_20140119_1913365.jpg"><img title="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - After cutting" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Porchetta (Roast Pork Belly) - After cutting" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-g_1IgYMbWCg/Utyw8cQTTrI/AAAAAAAACoU/1ZuiIZ_A7vg/P_20140119_191336_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <h3>Verdict </h3> <p> <p>I’m glad that I experimented with the Roast Pork Belly on a smaller scale before this big-ass roll. I shouldn’t have removed the strings before the final roast cackling. That’s why this Porchetta looks flatter than the usual rolled up version.</p> <p>Otherwise, succcess! </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-21675666124650849102014-01-09T09:42:00.001+08:002014-01-09T09:45:41.515+08:00Sleep Deprivation Screws You Over… No Shit (Or I Look Like a Panda!!!)<p>This explanatory infographic from Huffington Post shows what happens if you don’t get enough sleep. </p> <p>Scary stuff. That’s why I’m sticking to my 8 hours and screw-you-whoever-gets-in-my-way! </p> <p><img style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" src="http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/SleepDeprivation_0.png" width="555" height="1043"></p> <p>Source: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/08/sleep-deprivation_n_4557142.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009&ir=Style" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-61509564934540298922014-01-03T10:00:00.000+08:002014-01-03T10:00:00.119+08:00Food Experiment #5: Si Beh Slow Roast Lamb & Mint Jelly<p>My dad bought a massive leg of lamb to roast. So why not a freakin’ slow roast lamb for New Year’s Dinner. Buoyed by my earlier success with lamb, I decided to keep it simple and cook it for 8 hours as directed by Andew McConnell (src: <a href="http://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/recipes/recipe-search/chefs-recipes/2011/4/andew-mcconnell-lamb-with-cumin/" target="_blank">Gourmet Traveller</a>).</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DQp0BvW93uY/UsVvG76ny-I/AAAAAAAACio/nhi3rPb6Bx8/s1600-h/P_20140101_183621%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="P_20140101_183621" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20140101_183621" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-YCVrOebuMts/UsVvIFsHLBI/AAAAAAAACiw/w32LqCXWIh8/P_20140101_183621_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p>Oddly enough, it’s not as tender as the earlier recipe…but I’m getting ahead of myself. Onwards foodie folks! </p> <h3><font style="font-weight: bold">You’ll Need These </font><font style="font-weight: bold">Ingredients:</font></h3> <ul> <li>1 leg of lamb, 4 lbs. (<em>I used boneless</em>), tied</li> <li>1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns</li> <li>1 teaspoon cumin seeds (I used cumin powder) </li> <li>2 garlic cloves, crushed</li> <li>2 teaspoon sea salt </li></ul> <h4>For the Mint Jelly </h4> <ul> <li>1 cup sugar</li> <li>1½ cups firmly packed mint leaves</li> <li>1 cup white vinegar</li> <li>¾ cup water</li> <li>2 tablespoons gelatine, dissolved in ¼ cup water</li> <li>½ cup chopped mint leaves, extra</li></ul> <h3><font style="font-weight: bold">Instructions and “Did it Work?” </font></h3> <h4>1. Make the Spice Rub</h4> <p>Do I really have to go through this?… Alright, crack the peppercorns and toss it with the cumin, garlic and salt. </p> <p>Tada. </p> <h4>2. Marinade the Roast</h4> <p>Stab into the lamb. I mean it. Stab deep and long into the trussed up lamb leg. Stab it like you got a vendetta to spare. Because you’re supposed to rub the tossed-up spice mix onto the lamb and into those nice clean holes. </p> <p>Done with stabbing and rubbing? </p> <p>Cover and leave in the fridge overnight. </p> <h4>3. Make the Mint Jelly </h4> <p>In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, mint leaves, vinegar and water. Bring to boil on high, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir dissolved gelatine through. Strain, discarding mint leaves. Pour hot mixture into sterilised jars. <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-UTs5aWPxyo0/UsVvJKVKvFI/AAAAAAAACi4/7HHmA9tLoQc/s1600-h/P_20131231_214639%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="P_20131231_214639" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20131231_214639" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-pl6_L1HO2Mw/UsVvJ6b7dsI/AAAAAAAACjA/azRJTT4MfJ8/P_20131231_214639_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4YT15p5qmAk/UsVvLPAYu6I/AAAAAAAACjI/IKX23oe1rJk/s1600-h/P_20140101_180132%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="P_20140101_180132" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20140101_180132" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-NUMTswp5NPQ/UsVvMKNnYsI/AAAAAAAACjQ/AfQl69zkkPU/P_20140101_180132_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p>Allow to cool until thickening, stir extra fresh chopped mint through. <p>Seal well. Chill until required. (src: <a href="http://womansday.ninemsn.com.au/food/everydayrecipes/1043066/roast-lamb-with-mint-jelly" target="_blank">NineMSN</a>) <h4> </h4> <h4>4. Roast it! </h4> <p>My reference recipe calls for roasting covered with foil for 2 hours in the oven at 160C. Reduce to 100C and roast for another 5 hours. Remove the foil and roast for 1 hour at 100C.</p> <p>That’s a total of 8 hours! </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-39x9mOhbVsU/UsVvM5_JHkI/AAAAAAAACjY/Rwy8RbFovXg/s1600-h/P_20140101_182752%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="P_20140101_182752" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20140101_182752" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bdmLSchrTk0/UsVvNkDx6gI/AAAAAAAACjg/a7wBnwfFgBA/P_20140101_182752_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p>After roasting, take it out and give it 10 min of sitting time under an aluminium tent.</p> <p align="left">Once 10 min has gone by, start carving the roast into thick, stuff-your-face-in slices.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-f7rgF7QGba0/UsVvOv7b-cI/AAAAAAAACjo/oI7rHQPifFE/s1600-h/P_20140101_183629%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="P_20140101_183629" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20140101_183629" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-T_7O3a9rU-c/UsVvPUwdc1I/AAAAAAAACjw/6_AAv89XkqQ/P_20140101_183629_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="495" height="660"></a></p> <h3>Verdict </h3> <p> <p>Not as tender as my previous food experiment <a href="http://wendright.blogspot.sg/2013/12/mechoui-lamb.html" target="_blank">Mechoui Lamb</a> and lacking the spiced flavour, but it’s bursting with muttonly goodness and crust of fat made it worthwhile. </p> <p>Went surprisingly well with the tart Mint Jelly. I think I’ll slow roast it without the foil next time. </p> <p>Almost success! </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-13121980685594312602013-12-30T10:00:00.000+08:002013-12-30T10:00:05.760+08:00Food Experiment #4: Roast Beef With Cider Marinade<p>When salt and peppa ain’t enough, add alcohol. After all beer goggles make viewees hot and helps population growth nightly (at least our government hopes for that!). </p> <p>On a foodie note, alcohol also goes with food. I thought: “Why not a wet marinade for a beef roast”?</p> <p>So armed with meat and little else, I went out on Google and found this <em>Cider Marinated Beef Roast</em> (src: <a href="http://www.cooks.com/recipe/4k564964/cider-marinated-beef-roast.html" target="_blank">Cooks.com</a>) that piqued my interest. </p> <p>Did it work?</p> <h3><font style="font-weight: bold">You’ll Need These </font><font style="font-weight: bold">Ingredients:</font></h3> <ul> <li>1 beef roast, 2 lbs. (<em>I used Sirloin</em>), tied</li></ul> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-DWY2TER-Zdc/Ur-VbYHkE2I/AAAAAAAACgU/R0dyPyA6n28/s1600-h/P_20131228_110459%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img title="Sirloin roast with butcher's twine" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Sirloin roast with butcher's twine" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-nSvRYN-Nysw/Ur-VcDAJk4I/AAAAAAAACgY/dgRpylq26QQ/P_20131228_110459_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <h4>Marinade Ingredients</h4> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hfptDiKAyo8/Ur-Vdcs0gvI/AAAAAAAACgk/KtY3jEcvpGE/s1600-h/P_20131228_102605%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img title="Cider Marinade ingredients" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Cider Marinade ingredients" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ZCswSb6M-hI/Ur-Vdz74dJI/AAAAAAAACgo/4jrcdZpbWM4/P_20131228_102605_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <ul> <li>2 cups of Apple Cider <li>2/3 cups of Salad Oil <li>1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice <li>1/2 cup of chopped Onion (1 med.) <li>3 cloves garlic, unpeeled, smashed, but not completely crushed <li>1 bay leaf <li>1 tablespoon of salt, thyme (<em>I picked up sage, silly me!</em>), whole allspice (<em>no allspice, so I used clove & cinnamon in equal parts</em>), dry mustard <li>1 tablespoon of pepper</li></ul> <h3><font style="font-weight: bold">Instructions and “Did it Work?” </font></h3> <h4>1. Make the Cider Marinade </h4> <p>Chop up the herbs and throw everything into a plastic bag. How difficult can it get?</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-n9rSATfyAEA/Ur-Ve-EGXII/AAAAAAAACg0/UDoHlGD0Qj8/s1600-h/P_20131228_105845%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="Cinnamon, Clove, Salt, Sage, Bay Leaf, Mustard" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Cinnamon, Clove, Salt, Sage, Bay Leaf, Mustard" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Bh4qvsGvHI0/Ur-VflbqyvI/AAAAAAAACg8/nBFohwa-Kuw/P_20131228_105845_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="649"></a></p> <h4>2. Marinade the Beef Roast!</h4> <p>Chuck the roast into the bag and leave in the fridge for more than 4 hours. Turn the roast every 2 hours.</p> <p>It’s a freaking mess even with a ziplock bag. These two tips will get the most out of your wet marinade in a bag: </p> <ol> <li>Gash the beef. Stick inch-deep holes or slashes all over the beef roast so that the marinade will seep into the beef <li>Place the bag on a deep dish to catch slippage from the marinade</li></ol> <p>I noticed that the cider marinade cooks the outside of the beef. If so, how in the world is the marinade of any use? Meathead Goldwyn’s most excellent post “<em><a href="http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/rubs_pastes_marinades_and_brines/zen_of_marinades.html" target="_blank">The Secrets And Myths Of Marinades And How Gashing Can Make Them Work Better</a></em>” is a fairly scientific approach to marinating meats that bring joy to meat geeks.</p> <p>The end result of the marinating process:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2csWGpFYBvA/Ur-VgnWh0NI/AAAAAAAAChE/hd8TBEhlTVY/s1600-h/P_20131228_163923%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Roast Beef with Cider Marinade After Marinating" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Roast Beef with Cider Marinade After Marinating" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZyFQr5ugNNY/Ur-VhaIUF8I/AAAAAAAAChM/sq8N7LW5EL8/P_20131228_163923_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rYzdwoW0Enk/Ur-ViRxsfMI/AAAAAAAAChU/jVAxtiGro1A/s1600-h/P_20131228_163937%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="Roast Beef with Cider Marinade After Marinating (top view)" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Roast Beef with Cider Marinade After Marinating (top view)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_AuAzsXiGAg/Ur-VjG_u1AI/AAAAAAAAChY/6pMb7P7mBIU/P_20131228_163937_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <h4>3. Roast it! </h4> <p>My reference recipe calls for 20 min in the oven at 220C before roasting again for 36min at 180C. After roasting, take it out and give it 20min of sitting time under an aluminium tent.</p> <p><strong>Roasting Rule of Thumb: </strong>15min per 450g + 20min @ 180C</p> <p>The Cider Marinated Beef Roast is on the right side (browned roast).</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-aJh5CMoLNLE/Ur-VkBh8sMI/AAAAAAAAChk/05FjqlG1mRQ/s1600-h/P_20131228_175625%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Roast Beef with Cider Marinade After Roasting" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Roast Beef with Cider Marinade After Roasting" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MsTkFQnwCw4/Ur-Vk1w4VUI/AAAAAAAAChs/DBV5c5BH1CI/P_20131228_175625_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p align="left">Once 20min has gone by, start carving the roast into thin slices.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-SoKl7IBvI_A/Ur-Vl8NZcxI/AAAAAAAACh0/36yGsn8caHY/s1600-h/P_20131228_184414%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Roast Beef with Cider Marinade After Carving" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="Roast Beef with Cider Marinade After Carving" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bgR8THM9sts/Ur-VmlQn09I/AAAAAAAACh8/jpXoq--5gJw/P_20131228_184414_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <h3>Verdict </h3> <p> <p>I thought that the roast was too rare. And I prefer my beef bloody. Perhaps another 15min in the oven would have sealed the deal. Otherwise, it was full of beefy goodness. </p> <p>Almost success! </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-12102790785811524232013-12-25T10:00:00.000+08:002013-12-25T10:00:03.539+08:00Travel: The Best Part of Penang (Part 2)Check out <a href="http://wendright.blogspot.com/2013/12/travel-best-part-of-penang-part-1.html">The Best Part of Penang (Part 1)</a> for more cast iron cartoons. <br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JjVP03xee04/UretrgydwaI/AAAAAAAACek/7MzW5dm7eso/s1600-h/P_20131009_100051_thumb22.jpg"><img alt="P_20131009_100051_thumb2" border="0" height="660" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-YWGnQHRNPoY/UretsoQHZ5I/AAAAAAAACes/EtRXanas3UY/P_20131009_100051_thumb2_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="P_20131009_100051_thumb2" width="495" /></a><br />
<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-YUks50OOQn4/UretttDfbSI/AAAAAAAACe0/6cwpcJejUCQ/s1600-h/P_20131009_100326_thumb22.jpg"><img alt="P_20131009_100326_thumb2" border="0" height="660" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-VmbC3K05l5c/UretuR_GSUI/AAAAAAAACe4/g2fvegotNpI/P_20131009_100326_thumb2_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="P_20131009_100326_thumb2" width="495" /></a><br />
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-npYOOnqGuYA/UretvTiRkQI/AAAAAAAACfE/Mpw5PYPrBEM/s1600-h/P_20131009_100618_thumb22.jpg"><img alt="P_20131009_100618_thumb2" border="0" height="660" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-da3oqAGmaLY/UretwaYOptI/AAAAAAAACfM/j3mbGlaGT4A/P_20131009_100618_thumb2_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="P_20131009_100618_thumb2" width="495" /></a><br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--LWcmP8zlw4/UretxPCr2bI/AAAAAAAACfU/AObHWZ_kanw/s1600-h/P_20131009_103337_thumb42.jpg"><img alt="P_20131009_103337_thumb4" border="0" height="676" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Ftp8zr2uB8A/UretxyWFXiI/AAAAAAAACfc/pbZ3M7eGdaQ/P_20131009_103337_thumb4_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="P_20131009_103337_thumb4" width="502" /></a><br />
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WrWr8GC0H_M/Uretyjwo-pI/AAAAAAAACfk/-I9ufp4MiKs/s1600-h/P_20131009_103446_thumb62.jpg"><img alt="P_20131009_103446_thumb6" border="0" height="731" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fIvBRIjKMDs/UretznttBcI/AAAAAAAACfs/sb1fRCEaOFc/P_20131009_103446_thumb6_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="P_20131009_103446_thumb6" width="524" /></a><br />
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cF2yEI4vXro/Uret0SjVmzI/AAAAAAAACf0/TqL8uUArDbY/s1600-h/P_20131009_103610_thumb52.jpg"><img alt="P_20131009_103610_thumb5" border="0" height="398" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-SrmNu9Aw5gY/Uret1D6RW2I/AAAAAAAACf8/tTdIhs1r46k/P_20131009_103610_thumb5_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="P_20131009_103610_thumb5" width="530" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-85134711959113230252013-12-24T10:00:00.000+08:002013-12-24T10:00:00.852+08:00Travel: Best Part of Penang (Part 1)<p>Isn’t the street food. </p> <p>It’s finding gems like the graffiti and cast iron cartoons below that make the trip to Georgetown worth while. These tongue-in-cheek cartoons tell Penang’s story in an interesting and appreciable manner that doesn’t seem like a stiff roll of parchment paper. </p> <p>Of course, their <a href="http://wendright.blogspot.sg/2013/11/eating-my-way-through-kl-penang-part-2a.html" target="_blank">kick ass black as sin coffee</a> helps too.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fcw5s8We034/Uresu3bHV2I/AAAAAAAACbo/fgzsEQOawlo/s1600-h/P_20131009_1802195.jpg"><img title="P_20131009_180219" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20131009_180219" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JfJoVdX_VOE/UresvvcbKpI/AAAAAAAACbw/H0eYvOXEcwo/P_20131009_180219_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-C_qdDVN5A_4/UreswcdR1CI/AAAAAAAACb4/ccekndLuSgo/s1600-h/P_20131009_2033098.jpg"><img title="P_20131009_203309" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20131009_203309" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6uB5J7TJgwU/UresxJRF3BI/AAAAAAAACcA/ml0R1NV5__I/P_20131009_203309_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="495" height="660"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wJ3ShjcNtmc/UresydZhWlI/AAAAAAAACcI/tkcNEElChXg/s1600-h/P_20131009_0907197.jpg"><img title="P_20131009_090719" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20131009_090719" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-K0gBV6CWrmU/UreszOING3I/AAAAAAAACcQ/j3bulH3OufI/P_20131009_090719_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gW7dXvq5iYk/Ures0aRx7eI/AAAAAAAACcY/H4xdV26TfdI/s1600-h/P_20131009_0957527.jpg"><img title="P_20131009_095752" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20131009_095752" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CvFB31bHC0k/Ures1WQ2h5I/AAAAAAAACcg/9AV5pkTIgZg/P_20131009_095752_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2gqqiIMvFAk/Ures2EfhyDI/AAAAAAAACco/iK_YfHLJATY/s1600-h/P_20131009_0958137.jpg"><img title="P_20131009_095813" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20131009_095813" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-K8J0FbqZW-w/Ures3MNHyAI/AAAAAAAACcw/c97t8TpIRY8/P_20131009_095813_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="495" height="660"></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-32271770867590936062013-12-23T10:09:00.000+08:002013-12-23T10:09:00.419+08:00Food Experiment #3: Pumpkin Nog with Cinnamon Rum<p>Since it’s Christmas, let’s do something noggy for these bleak rainy days. It’s pissing cats and dogs and old gods on us for the entire month. </p> <p>What to make a nog from? </p> <p>In the words from the immortal, blankey-wielding Linus, “The great Pumpkin!”</p> <p>Hence, food experiment #3 (i think!): Pumpkin Nog.</p> <h3>You’ll need:</h3> <ul> <li>250g small Pumpkin <li>250g milk boiled with some Cinnamon <li>250g Cinnamon-infused rum </li></ul> <h3> </h3> <h3>Pumpkin Nog with Cinnamon Rum Instructions </h3> <h5>1. Make the Cinnamon-infused Rum </h5> <p>Add 4 sticks of cinnamon (or whatever amounts that you prefer) to 250g of dark rum. Seal it in a mason jar and leave it in a cool, dark place for 3 days. I chuck my jar in the freezer. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-K1MPPqA-ChM/UraeUl0MFbI/AAAAAAAACaI/8f81DkbuclI/s1600-h/cinnamon-rum6.jpg"><img title="cinnamon rum" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="cinnamon rum" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-g_8BI-DM1kQ/UraeVf5OIKI/AAAAAAAACaQ/k-aZREFy3Lo/cinnamon-rum_thumb10.jpg?imgmax=800" width="520" height="443"></a></p> <h5>2. Make Pumpkin Puree</h5> <p>Slice the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the insides (pretend they’re your enemy’s intestines and guts). Chop up the pumpkin into inch-long cubes. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SynaVY8neRc/UraeWa2_7hI/AAAAAAAACaY/Matd_E2gV0w/s1600-h/pumpkin%252520roast%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="pumpkin roast" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="pumpkin roast" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jJzbCLu6iKw/UraeXDv6TSI/AAAAAAAACag/94sv34Xdu8Y/pumpkin%252520roast_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="298"></a></p> <p>Roast the pumpkin for 15 min. Roast again for 15 min with generous heaps of brown sugar on top of them. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-EOMxjNBC1AQ/UraeYKQjQSI/AAAAAAAACao/hP6khc6B_V8/s1600-h/pumpkin%252520roast%252520with%252520sugar%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="pumpkin roast with sugar" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="pumpkin roast with sugar" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YRTL0-UJbGI/UraeY__B9vI/AAAAAAAACaw/9XcfhlhqW-M/pumpkin%252520roast%252520with%252520sugar_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="298"></a></p> <p>Scoop it out and mush them up. </p> <h5>3. Mix it all together! </h5> <p>Like the title says. Add all the ingredients together and stir until combined. Chill and serve. Keep a bottle of run nearby to pow-wow up the drink.</p> <p align="center"><img style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" src="http://www.cocktailtimes.com/rum/top_10cane_pumpkin.jpg" width="316" height="266"><em>Image source: </em><a href="http://www.cocktailtimes.com/rum/10cane_pumpkin.shtml" target="_blank"><em>Cocktail Times</em></a></p> <h3>Verdict </h3> <p>My first try failed. Too much rum, too little blending of pumpkin… it was far too thick and too full of stuff for a cocktail drink. </p> <p>Back to the drawing board. Although I must say that Pumpkin roasted with brown sugar rocks as a possible dessert. </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-13499592229178096752013-12-17T13:17:00.001+08:002013-12-17T13:17:59.144+08:00My Facebook Friends Like Ang Moh Food<p>This picture racked up five likes in the span of five minutes. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hvedke1TzN0/Uq_egZP9nyI/AAAAAAAACZc/RG65caHZN2M/s1600-h/1476426_10152179074590832_1000751282_n%25255B14%25255D.jpg"><img title="1476426_10152179074590832_1000751282_n" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="1476426_10152179074590832_1000751282_n" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4dkG50E6Gc0/Uq_eha6y94I/AAAAAAAACZk/LAMD2u4PpGU/1476426_10152179074590832_1000751282_n_thumb%25255B12%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="530" height="398"></a></p> <p>Mushroom Risotto with Truffle Egg, taken at Spruce. </p> <p>Salty, chewy, with an egg <em>dan dan (蛋蛋)</em>. Pretty good except that it costs $22 and an OK 250 cal. </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-61603093390009022702013-12-17T10:00:00.000+08:002013-12-15T11:23:41.525+08:00Wunderlust: Cycling AgainI’ve been cycling to and from my workplace nowadays. It takes me 30min because of traffic by family-happy cars. <br />
It’s not easy doing it again – especially with the long layoff working in an ad agency – and the fact that my legs are gimpier than before. <br />
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-03y1wWS1vwQ/Uq0ah-2FtkI/AAAAAAAACZA/nsTXH4BiDkY/s1600-h/P_20131215_104645%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img alt="P_20131215_104645" border="0" height="391" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QqVyuolW8xw/Uq0aimZ5E5I/AAAAAAAACZI/_2pHzxqMB-Q/P_20131215_104645_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="P_20131215_104645" width="513" /></a><br />
But I really want to go on a cycling trip again. Quite likely a return to Desaru (like this <a href="http://travel.cnn.com/singapore/play/one-mans-ride-singapore-desaru-423548" target="_blank">One man’s Ride from Singapore to Desaru</a>).<br />
Desaru is nothing much. A beach, a couple of resorts and that’s about it. But the point isn’t sight-seeing or shopping. It’s to exert, ride and unwind. Just what I need.<br />
I think I’ll stay at Penggarang this time round. <br />
<div align="center">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=215017963665642695447.00046cdbe4c8e94cba372&t=m&ll=1.528292,104.032288&spn=0.480479,0.583649&z=10&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=215017963665642695447.00046cdbe4c8e94cba372&t=m&ll=1.528292,104.032288&spn=0.480479,0.583649&z=10&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">cycling to desaru</a> in a larger map</small> </div>
Maybe during late December when I have time off?<br />
But first, get strong, overhaul the bike and ride. <br />
Preferably into the sunsetAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-74862768144729323272013-12-16T10:00:00.000+08:002013-12-16T10:00:04.291+08:00Exercise: Lots of Running and Some Hanging<p>I lift stuff. But every now and then, I take my bike out for a spin, or whack my punching bag, or run around on the basketball court – despite a gimpy knee.</p> <p>One of my least favourite exercises, but oh-so-useful, is the Suicide Drill. This is how I feel after 1 set of those drills. </p> <p><img style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" src="http://cmsimg.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=G2&Date=20131031&Category=SPORTS0202&ArtNo=310310073&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Conditioning-regimen-has-Colorado-State-basketball-looking-better-than-expected" width="527" height="349"><em>Source: </em><a href="http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20131031/SPORTS0202/310310073/" target="_blank"><em>Coloradoan</em></a></p> <h3>The Routine:</h3> <ul> <li>50 X Hang Cleans</li> <li>50 X Pull Ups</li> <li>200 X Push Ups</li> <li>2 X Suicide Drills (Yup, I’m a wussy)</li> <li>Basketball shooting drills </li> <li>15 min of bag kicking </li></ul> <h3>Exercise of the day: Suicide Drills </h3> <p>Essentially, it’s a sprint drill where we run/sprint up and down the basketball court: to the foul line and back; to the half court and back; to other foul line and back; and to the other end and back. </p> <p>It builds cardiovascular strength, agility, blah blah… it does what interval training routines do -- makes you stronger!!! Woot! </p> <p>A How-To do Suicide Drills – brought to you by a bunch of basketball kids. . </p> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:3e1636d3-3a2b-4a8b-ab74-5b9c0e6da34f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 448px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="448" height="336"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MPL487ToJt8?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MPL487ToJt8?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="336"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Running Suicide Drills</div></div> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-77323547211004345622013-12-13T10:05:00.000+08:002013-12-13T10:05:45.906+08:00Exercise: Hangs into Rest<p>Woke up ambitious and lifted flat. </p> <p>I was stoked to do my Hang Cleans but I ran out of gas midway into the first set. That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the morning’s exercises. Flat in the middle. </p> <p><img style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOAlBPr4t_xOfHXYbfq5NK9vFo4Xcg8pNLeKG6yCoPCwqRk6TI9DBHk2m7cQDxKrO2QLX_q3Mm1qacrguObArIuVONddr0T8PNLMyuhPtfv-gbPlt1pe7OZ6sGZjTaUSDc0oZqCKXehwf/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-10-02+at+9.40.22+AM.png" width="548" height="480"><em>Source: </em><a href="http://cfnorcalstrengthclub.blogspot.com/2013/10/burgener-squat-week-6-jenis-birthday.html" target="_blank"><em>cfnorcalstrengthclub.blogspot.com</em></a></p> <p>Instead of going head to head by lifting and possibly injuring myself, I took a break for the day to recover. </p> <h3>The Routine</h3> <ul> <li>30 X Hang Cleans <li>10 X Shoulder Presses <li>10 X Bent Over Rows <li>50 X Deadlifts <li>15 min Cycling</li></ul> <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> </div> <h3>Exercise of the day: Active Rest</h3> <p>Explosive exercises take a lot out of me. I’m pooped, flat and ready to kneel over once I’m done with my sets. That’s why I need rest. But I’m not crazy about sleeping it off like a piglet (although it’s great!). </p> <p>Hence Active Rest. It seems like an oxymoronic term, but it works. Active Rest is essentially low intensity exercises to “flush out latic acid and send oxygenated blood to the muscles“. </p> <p><strong>What to do: </strong>Do your usual exercises at 30% of weight or intensity. I usually do a bicycle ride on flat ground at a fairly leisurely pace (20km/h) if I’ve sore legs. For sore upper body muscles, I’d do planks and a throw in a few bodyweight push-ups or rows for good measure.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-91599067170438296342013-12-12T10:00:00.000+08:002013-12-12T10:09:38.906+08:00Because I Like Funny Drawings<p>And they make me happy. Wahahaha.</p> <p>More in the link at the bottom. </p> <p><img style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="box1" src="http://zeqps2k4t563atbs730zvzq12aw.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/box1.jpg" width="560" height="377"></p> <p><img style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="box7" src="http://zeqps2k4t563atbs730zvzq12aw.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/box7.jpg" width="552" height="372"></p> <p><img style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="box49" src="http://zeqps2k4t563atbs730zvzq12aw.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/box49.jpg"></p> <p><em>Source: <a href="http://imgur.com/a/3Kog5" target="_blank">http://imgur.com/a/3Kog5</a></em></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-77628908826743796102013-12-11T10:00:00.000+08:002013-12-11T10:00:03.414+08:00Exercise: Upper Body + Pylometrics<p>Been working out for the last few weeks. Today’s workout is easy-peasy after Saturday’s helter-skelter run, hang cleans and an achy-breaky back. </p> <p> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-w7BxgjtKtVM/UqcOquskZnI/AAAAAAAACYo/_uRI0kzj9RU/s1600-h/declined_push_ups%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="declined_push_ups" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="declined_push_ups" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HWrUwYB9atw/UqcOrxLf3UI/AAAAAAAACYw/7i6W9UFZrn4/declined_push_ups_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="539" height="311"></a></p> <h3>The Routine </h3> <ul> <li>200 X Decline Push Ups </li> <li>60 X Pull Ups </li> <li>5 X Suicide Drills (700m in all)</li> <li>38min Biking </li> <li>15min Bagwork (Roundhouse, Hooks, Jabs & Crosses)</li></ul> <h3> </h3> <h3>Exercise of the day: Push Ups </h3> <p>Push Ups rock. It works the core, chest, shoulders and triceps. The more you do it, the leaner you get. There are so many mind-boggling variations and best of all, you just need a bit of floor space to get going. </p> <p>I prefer Decline Push Ups (see image above) to work out my upper pectorals and abs. The method’s simple: grab a chair, put your feet on it, place your hands on the floor and push up from the ground. </p> <p>Easy. </p> <p>Just a couple of pointers when you’re doing it:</p> <ol> <li>Keep your body stiff. Don’t use momentum or sag your middle</li> <li>Don’t drop down. Lower yourself slowly </li></ol> <p>Rock on. </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-73260298635180706752013-12-10T10:11:00.001+08:002013-12-10T10:11:15.326+08:00Cars Parking Baffle Me<p>I am horribly baffled by cars parking. Drivers endeavour to park as close as possible to the exits and entrances of the building. </p> <p>I’m seeing this as whenever my girlfriend or father parks their car. To illustrate my point, I’ve taken two photographs from the same spot but shot in different directions. </p> <h3>Shot of cars lined up next to the lift entrance</h3> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8hR0FzOgQz0/UqZ4ObzLCII/AAAAAAAACYA/8TQfOX06HUU/s1600-h/P_20131208_113630%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="P_20131208_113630" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20131208_113630" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-xV_47zMAlaI/UqZ4PJcRI-I/AAAAAAAACYE/8G5JQ2EeFpI/P_20131208_113630_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="528" height="400"></a></p> <h3>Shot of cars away from the lift entrance</h3> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7OszPmtf2To/UqZ4PkE9bcI/AAAAAAAACYQ/rzXzfXwd0aM/s1600-h/P_20131208_113633%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img title="P_20131208_113633" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="P_20131208_113633" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yGIRioli2Ug/UqZ4QaR2JTI/AAAAAAAACYY/kyNTdJNtQZE/P_20131208_113633_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="515" height="393"></a></p> <p>So many parking lots, so little space. </p> <p>No wonder cars make us fat. </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-5340942147882549902013-12-09T10:00:00.000+08:002013-12-09T10:00:05.027+08:00The Garden City is Pretty but Noisy<p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mZ-SL3X7DGw/UqLQ7pUtXoI/AAAAAAAACXQ/S8fX7h9MEag/s1600-h/cut_grass%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="cut_grass" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="cut_grass" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-twjRR3YXo0o/UqLQ8l49dvI/AAAAAAAACXY/E1jqvIR7d00/cut_grass_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="535" height="376"></a><em>from </em><a href="http://www.treklens.com"><em>www.treklens.com</em></a></p> <p>I like living in Singapore. It works. It’s green and quite clean, despite the hiking prices, and surly and superficial population that’s increasingly more foreign. </p> <p>In keeping with our government’s mantra: all the trees, shrubbery and grass need to be maintained and trimmed back lest they overwhelm our roads, pavements and viaducts. </p> <p>It makes sense. After all, you would want your tires and paths tangled up by Lalang? </p> <p>My only issue is the noise – an eminently first world problem – where leaf blowers, grass cutters and the occasional chainsaw slices and tames the quiet greenery. </p> <p>Noise is jarring and annoying. I lose focus in earshot of buzz saws, bad karaoke, and back-firing cars (yes, we have those in Singapore too). </p> <p>Ach. First world problems…a never-ending stream of gripes and trivialities.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-53860213433270372752013-12-02T10:14:00.000+08:002013-12-02T10:14:00.673+08:00Mechoui Lamb<p> </p> <p>Made slow roast Mechoui Lamb over the weekend. I was thinking and dreaming about it through the week. 3 hours of roasting the freaking leg!!!</p> <p>Unlike my slow-roast beef, this one came out tops. The inside was pink, faintly bloody and oh-so-tender. Better yet, the spice marinade seeped and permeated the lamb leg. Definitely one of my better experiments. </p> <h3>Recipe</h3> <p><strong>Prep time: </strong>20 min </p> <p><strong>Roasting time: </strong>3.5 hours</p> <ul> <li>1 whole leg of lamb on the bone about 2kg. Chopped up in 3 parts (because I had a small oven) <li>5 tablespoons of oil <li>4 cloves of garlic, pressed and roughly chopped up <li>2 tablespoons salt, or to taste <li>1 tablespoons cracked pepper <li>2 tablespoons cumin <li>1 tablespoon turmeric</li></ul> <p>Simple, no? </p> <h3>Marinating the Leg of Lamb</h3> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-e9DYokde7Pc/UprwA4pJBHI/AAAAAAAACV8/NGhz2P1zm44/s1600-h/raw%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="raw" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="raw" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-gPz_ddb1Vu0/UprwB4K7gLI/AAAAAAAACWE/MN49lEA_8wQ/raw_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="533" height="404"></a></p> <ul> <li>Clean, dry and remove excess fat from your lamb. My butchers are Muslim dudes who do an amazing of prepping the leg. In fact, they chopped up the leg nicely once I told them I wanted to roast it. <li>Stab the lamb with a sharp pointy knife. Space the holes out at decent intervals. <li>Whack all of the ingredients into a bowl. Stir until it’s a paste. <li>Generously smother the lamb with the paste and dig the garlic into the knife holes. <li>Leave in fridge for 6 hours (or better yet, overnight!). Try not to stare too longingly at it.</li></ul> <h3>Roasting the Lamb</h3> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QOABcjQsV5A/UprwC_2Dw0I/AAAAAAAACWM/gvS-U0jRJ-E/s1600-h/in%252520oven%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="in oven" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="in oven" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--e3QAeAy_hc/UprwD-MjEYI/AAAAAAAACWU/8cP7a_SlZ_0/in%252520oven_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="525" height="398"></a></p> <ul> <li>Pre-heat the oven to 240C for 30 min. <li>Add lamb to the oven. Add 1 cup of water to the roast pan. Roast uncovered at 240C for 20min to brown the lamb. Sizzle sizzle, baby. The water keeps the lamb moist and prevents it from drying out. <li>Turn down the heat to 160C. Continue roasting the lamb for 3hours (or 180min). Bast every 60min with the jus and coat the lamb pieces with a little oil. Check that there’s enough water in the pan. <li>Wait patiently. I suggest a thick book like <em>The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 22</em>. </li><!--EndFragment--></ul> <h3>Slice, Dice and Serve the Lamb</h3> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jY8UKQEz3Ow/UprwE5wTQ1I/AAAAAAAACWc/jfcoSC4-Qh0/s1600-h/final%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="final" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="final" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-r7HP7SAAWWg/UprwFst6-MI/AAAAAAAACWk/3VCChqkbbtE/final_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="522" height="396"></a></p> <ul> <li>Stab the lamb with a fork. If there’s a little blood, it’s OK. Remove and rest the leg of lamb on a plate for 20min. I left it uncovered. <li>Make gravy from the jus in the roasting pan. <ul> <li>Add water. Scrape the drippings until it dissolves in the jus. <li>Separately fry onions and garlic and whatever you want. <li>Add the dissolved dripping and bring to a boil. <li>Reduce the fire to a simmer and thicken with cornstarch water.</li></ul> <li>Start carving the lamb up. Steal the odd piece and feel good about your creation. A video tutorial on cutting up the lamb below:</li></ul> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:035c0758-8405-44d4-a158-730a7aadc5c1" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="width: 448px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px"><div><object width="448" height="252"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EHcgQgXwaKA?hl=en&hd=1"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EHcgQgXwaKA?hl=en&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252"></embed></object></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Carving up a leg of lamb with bone in.</div></div> <p>Serve to appreciative diners. <img class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-openmouthedsmile" style="border-top-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-left-style: none" alt="Open-mouthed smile" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-pOXtlozp3z8/UprwGKYVqhI/AAAAAAAACWo/_6hLPIDStLQ/wlEmoticon-openmouthedsmile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800"></p> <p><em>Recipe adapted from </em><a href="http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/beeflambandgoatrecipes/r/Moroccan_mechoui_recipe.htm" target="_blank"><em>Moroccan food at About.com</em></a><em>. Roasting done with a Convection Oven. </em></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-23337075359592831232013-11-28T10:30:00.000+08:002013-12-01T16:17:28.218+08:00What Does it Mean to be Singaporean?<p>A colleague asked: "What is a Singaporean identity? You eat, shop, drink." </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ifwrxbJ1lKw/UpLAIgsnbgI/AAAAAAAACUg/F88ObHHpMz8/s1600-h/ST-Luis%252520Mistades-Defining%252520S%252527pore%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="ST-Luis Mistades-Defining S'pore" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="ST-Luis Mistades-Defining S'pore" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_h1TM9QuGvI/UpLAJbF2OQI/AAAAAAAACUo/VE9MfcJVsUE/ST-Luis%252520Mistades-Defining%252520S%252527pore_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="538" height="313"></a><em>Image source: </em><a href="http://ifonlysingaporeans.blogspot.sg/2012/10/a-space-of-flows-defining-singapore.html" target="_blank"><em>If Only Singaporeans Stopped to Think</em></a></p> <p>I couldn't answer immediately. On reflection -- and listening to Grace Fu on the news -- I thought back to when I left Singapore. </p> <blockquote>The Singaporean is someone who speaks with a staccato inflection; who knows bashas, leopard crawling, CSMs, M-16s, and walking around with a shaven head; who knows that having a bit of everything -- prata, lontong, chicken rice, bak kut teh -- is better than just one type of food available to most people; who lives, drinks and chats with Tamles, Mats, and Mungens. <br>The Singaporean is a varied bunch. Some hound kids to the tuition centers; some are big losers with big hearts; others guzzle beer while five-tenning another; while many of us slave in florescent-lit offices and catch up with other cubicle mates now and then. <br>The Singaporean has played on big stone slides in the heartlands; who cusses, lim chius and sits with a leg up at the hawker centre. Their favourite pastime being the many complaints about cabbies, rain, MRTs and the government; and what is a Singaporean without the <i>lah</i>, <i>leh</i> and <i>hors</i>...<i>correct or not</i>? </blockquote> <h3>That's the Singaporean Identity </h3> <p>It isn't about race. It's about the things that are meaningful to us -- part experiences, part people, mostly memory. </p> <p>My parent's conception of a Singaporean identity is quite different from mine, and my grandparent's view is vastly alien from mine too. Regardless we will have shared experiences that binds us together (like reservists bitching about their in-camp training or ah-lians in the latest Lao-beng joint), and these are experiences that we discuss and bitch about fondly and sometimes otherwise. </p> <p>I am Singaporean because of them. Not because of a government, or this piece of land, or a vague notion of <i>Singaporeaness</i>. <br></p> <blockquote><i>“What is essential to the growth of a nation is a common history -- common sufferings, common memories, and, it may be added, common aspirations." - H.A.L Fisher</i> </blockquote> <p>In fact, we can go further. </p> <h3>It's Disheartening </h3> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-PgV3VfyR2hs/UpLAKMvB5LI/AAAAAAAACUw/cJxFX_qBybI/s1600-h/woman-airport%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="woman-airport" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="woman-airport" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-8yjWOxNcFNU/UpLAK2SQIdI/AAAAAAAACU4/noO67CS7gwQ/woman-airport_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" align="left" height="240"></a>There are so many people coming in at once. So much so that they overwhelm. They bring their own foods, experiences, lingo and ways of thought here. In Chinatown I see a multitude of Mainland Chinese restaurants springing up to cater to new immigrants from China (apparently <a href="http://shanghaishiok.com/2011/07/29/1-million-chinese-nationals-in-singapore-a-whole-lot-of-unhappy-singaporeans/">there's 1 million Chinese Nationals </a>now), and Chinatown has quite literally become China-town. </p> <p>That was similar to Lucky Plaza in the beginning of the maid era. But it was a drop in the ocean as compared to the the influx of China nationals. <br>Change is inevitable. The old will give way to the newly accepted -- like Chinese opera, colour television, and now mobile internet streaming. </p> <p>It's OK... no, not really. </p> <p>All I can do is say: To the many who will arrive in Singapore to work, study, turn a quick buck, or perhaps nest, please fit in. Please share. Please receive. Be good. </p> <p>But do not expect us to bow to your sensibilities…like this ex-colleague of mine. </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577407959039128687.post-65760130567882945052013-11-27T22:46:00.000+08:002013-11-27T22:46:00.029+08:00Eating My Way Through KL & Penang (Part 2b: Everything Else)<p>Penang’s a Chinese-ified city with lots of Chinesey food that I can get in Singapore. As with regional differences, dishes with the same name might not be cooked in the same way – like Char Kway Teow or Lor Mee.</p> <p>Regardless, food is food. When in Penang (or anywhere else), eat like <em>siao*</em>. </p> <h3>Nasi Kandar</h3> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Pvkaydi2v0w/Un-XflieMUI/AAAAAAAACRw/fsLRkE2X0mg/s1600-h/P_20131009_213445_thumb22.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="P_20131009_213445_thumb[2]" border="0" alt="P_20131009_213445_thumb[2]" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-y7RPzJCbffk/Un-XgfjpoZI/AAAAAAAACR4/JgsXNXEvTJg/P_20131009_213445_thumb2_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="360" height="480"></a></p> <p>The Indian version of the Nasi Padang, Nasi Campur or Economic Rice. Pick from whatever meats and vegetables – sometimes stir-fried, often curried or sizzled – and chuck them onto your plate of rice. Douse with slaps of mutton curry, licks of beef something, drizzles of some dark gravy with mussels in it. That’s Nasi Kandar. </p> <p>Sounds better than it tastes. But I find it too heavy for my liking</p> <p><strong>Nasi Kandar Line Clear</strong><br>177 Jalan Penang</p> <h3>Bak Chang (Meat Rice Dumpling)</h3> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-oRdwC6BV-7A/Un-XhHCP3KI/AAAAAAAACSA/sfoKxDa3_xs/s1600-h/P_20131010_144440_thumb32.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="P_20131010_144440_thumb[3]" border="0" alt="P_20131010_144440_thumb[3]" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-R2DCCZ_MdTA/Un-XiLY5SjI/AAAAAAAACSI/hsW28SlSPt8/P_20131010_144440_thumb3_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="546" height="416"></a></p> <p>Apparently these stuffed rice dumplings are da bomb in Penang. They serve Hokkien, Cantonese and some “Golden” rice dumpling that suspiciously resembles a Hokkien dumpling on steroids. Soft, savoury, not too oily, and the accompanying sweet dark sauce was surprisingly apt for this dumpling. Not my kind of dumplings but I much prefer the Cantonese versions. </p> <p><strong>Cintra Food Corner <br></strong>Lebuh Cintra</p> <h3>Char Kway Teow </h3> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-aPq5hF3V5H4/Un-XijkmChI/AAAAAAAACSQ/gez3VYIJCaQ/s1600-h/P_20131009_173432_thumb32.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="P_20131009_173432_thumb[3]" border="0" alt="P_20131009_173432_thumb[3]" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8qctP41Kpq8/Un-XjXmCNeI/AAAAAAAACSY/8SMK8pIxJWA/P_20131009_173432_thumb3_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="544" height="415"></a></p> <p>Penang’s pride and joy. Flat rice noodles fried with lots of bean sprouts, cockles, oil and wrapped in an egg. Salty, not sweet. Not enough <em>wok hei</em> (smoky taste), but worth a wolf-down snack. </p> <p><strong>Some Coffeeshop that also sells solid Penang Coffee<br></strong>Lebuh Kimberly</p> <h3>Beef Satay</h3> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-V4K74FrPFIw/Un-cRirpyMI/AAAAAAAACSg/o3bBelLx8DI/s1600-h/P_20131010_195919%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="P_20131010_195919" border="0" alt="P_20131010_195919" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-gB8iMZvzuZA/Un-cSoYLObI/AAAAAAAACSo/K6_MB6G4uxc/P_20131010_195919_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="548" height="418"></a></p> <p>This is good. Facing the sea, pieces of charcoal-fired beef and drippy which I dip into peanut sauce. Best. </p> <p><strong>Food Court Facing the Sea <br></strong>Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakah</p> <h3>Grilled Fish with Sambal</h3> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-316IuqlgWz4/Un-cTh6PmtI/AAAAAAAACSw/4WWF0PxlFhI/s1600-h/P_20131010_201757%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="P_20131010_201757" border="0" alt="P_20131010_201757" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-aiSmbBy3Cq4/Un-cUf-fbRI/AAAAAAAACS4/SNVlVagF9MI/P_20131010_201757_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="546" height="416"></a></p> <p>When facing the sea, must eat something from it, Like fish, or mermaids. Tangy, powerful chilli slathered on grilled fish. Very much like the seafood stuff that comes out from Newton Circus, but much cheaper. </p> <p><strong>Food Court Facing the Sea <br></strong>Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakah</p> <h3>Everything Else Verdict </h3> <p>I think I went to all the wrong places in Penang. Regardless, that’s a snapshot of Penang food. The only real difference between that and Singapore lies in a few tweaks here and there. </p> <p>Next time, I’m heading up along the East Coast of Malaysia.</p> <p><em>* siao = mad</em></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02665862798120633466noreply@blogger.com0