Ribs on the menu tonight!

I've been a little laid back when it comes to updating my little cooking blog! What with Chelle & Mac down in town (Ok, so Mac's not really counted because I hardly saw the dude during his trip!), I was pretty busy with meet-ups, runs around the Gardens and a Camberwell market visit.

OK! So enough excuses already. :) Today is a pretty exciting day for me, my flaming hot sofa from Frogs Sofa arrives. Right, the delivery guy has another 8 mins to go before 2pm, and I'm really hoping he shows up soon because I do want to go for a quick run before I come home to enjoy my new couch! It's the FIRST very big purchase I've made for myself apart from holidays and plane tickets, so I'm quite proud to have done this all on my own. A great leap from the liz of yonder days who was intent on partying harder than anyone else I knew.

On the menu for my "break-in" sofa night is good o' American style BBQ Crock Pot ribs.

I googled several recipes, and put together one of my own:

American Style Barbecue Crock Pot Pork Ribs

1 kg of American style Pork Ribs (with bone)

2 Small brown onions, quartered

4 Cloves of Garlic, roughly chopped into large pieces

Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Prep: Something Mom taught me since young, scald the pork ribs with boiling hot water until the outer flesh turns slightly opaque and changes from pink to gray. This helps to get rid of the "porky" smell and at the same time, kills any surface bacteria. Saute and onions and garlic lightly in a tbl of oil until fragrant. Add the pork and fill with water; bring to a boil over medium heat. Let the pork boil with the onion and garlic water for about 45mins-1hour. Add some salt & pepper for flavouring.

BBQ Sauce:

1/3 Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup of brown sugar

3 Tbl Honey

3 Boiled, Skinned and Pitted cooking tomatoes

1 tsp Hot Chili Sauce

Recipes online all called for Tomato Sauce but seeing that I had three cooking tomatoes in the fridge, I decided to boil them, dip them in chilled water, and skin/pit them. I mashed them up with a fork and added them to a saucepan over heat, slowly stirring in hot water to dilute the thick pulp. When the tomato had turned to an almost paste-like consistency, I added the vinegar, brown sugar and honey.

**CAUTION** Do not stand too close and breathe in the fumes (I know because I did by accident!) as vinegar gives off a pungent tartness that shoots up the nostrils, burning them right inside so you feel almost as though you've been poked by an invisible sharp finger. Ok... So i exaggerate a little!

Stir mixture until all ingredients are dissolved and bring to a slight boil. I let my sauce thicken and look nearly like it was going to burn (for that smokey taste) before adding some hot water. I simmered it for about an hour, until the sharp acidity of the vinegar had evaporated away, and all that was left was a sweet, slightly tart, thickened brownish sauce (with slight goo from the tomato). Finger lickin' good!

(above) Pot of smokey deep rust coloured home-made BBQ sauce

(above) Sauce should be slightly sweet & just the tiniest bit tangy, add more chili if you prefer spicy

I then transferred the ribs into my crockpot, poured the sauce over, added some MORE onions (yum!) to sweeten, and have now put it on auto mode. My ex-director/ good friend El gave me a mini slow cooker and it only has two modes - auto and high. And now the waiting begins...

3pm - I started the crock pot and then went for a run around the Tan. Did some exercise and while I was still warm, decided to work on my veggies. This was about 4.45pm when I started...

I had some organic potatoes that I bought from the Farmer's Market a few weeks ago - they were very petite and delicate flavoured. No need for overwhelming herbs or flavouring. After cutting them into quarters and arranging on a bake pan, I drizzled some Villa Varapodi Olive Oil from Rose Creek Estate and sprinkled a light dusting of sea salt. This olive oil was the third harvest batch and is considered premium Sola Polpa - I was told that the oil is not pressed but extracted in small batches using an ancient method. Not too sure what this ancient method is though... ANYWAY, it tastes friking good. I had bought a First Harvest batch which is not for cooking, but dipping with bread and that is super amazing Olive Oil. Yum.... Back to my potatoes though...

I popped them into a pre-heated oven with a heat of 170C for 15mins and scattered several garlic slices over the potato quarters. After this was done, I then tossed in some broccoli florets and sprinkled some lo-fat fetta over. Another light dusting of sea salt, and a dash of oil and back into the oven at 170C for 10mins.

PINGGGGG!!! Oven went off, veggies are done. Switched the crock pot off, mmmmMMmMmM! Pork was literally falling off the bone, the sauce had thickened to a deep reddish rusty brown and the aroma! If only I could capture the aroma that wafted from my little pot. Sat down with a beer, some hearty American BBQ ribs, roast potatoes and veggies - so satisfying on a cold winter's night. Now, onto enjoy my brand new flaming red sofa! Woohoooooooo! I love Life!

(above) Ribs just about done - the onions were so soft and added a touch of sweetness to the BBQ sauce.

Until my next post! X

Bon Appétit! I did French today!

Today I poached my first piece of salmon. Hell, today I poached my first ANYTHING! What an achievement it felt like. Even though I love poached egg, it's quite unbelievable that I've never even tried that simple task before. Well, at least today I ventured new grounds and am now a de-virginised er...poacher! haha.

On the menu today: Poached salmon in Court Bouillon, with Beurre Blanc on the side and boiled organic potato and French beans. Also, for lunch tomorrow, I prepped some honey soy herb chicken wings and grilled them in my oven.

above: assortment of fresh herbs from the market to add natural healthy flavour to my meal.

This recipe was given to me by my dear cousin in Nottingham. He's a fine chef (going by the delicious pictures I've seen on FB) and I'm counting down till the day I get to sample his cuisine! He gave me this lovely easy poached fish recipe, together with several French sauces to go with it.

According to Wikipedia, Court Bouillon is a flavoured liquid for poaching food. Ingredients for my poach salmon was White Wine Vinegar (I bought a bottle from South Melbourne market), an onion finely sliced, some lemon slices, a couple of bay leaves and dill scattered in. Also, a sprinkling of whole peppercorns. His recipe had carrots, but I figured I'd prefer to infuse a herb and lemony flavour instead. Hope I'm not breaking any rules! As Erwin had instructed, I brought the mixture to a boil and then let it bubble gently for 10mins, this allowing the flavour to work its way into the liquids and then added the vinegar.

IMPORTANT SALMON-POACHING TIP: Take the Court Bouillon off heat first before slipping the salmon in gently. The fish will cook in the hot liquid so pop a lid on and trust that it will! I flipped my fillets over after ten mins, and while they were poaching also layered the onion/ lemon/ herbs over them to let the juices trickle in... (mm, at this point it started all smelling very delish!)

While my fish poached, I moved onto my chicken. I had prepared a marinade from dark soy, honey, ginger, garlic and a couple sprigs of assorted herbs (thyme and Bay leaves) and let my wings soak up the flavours for about three hours prior to cooking. I laid the wings out on a baking tray with all the marinade and popped it into the oven preheated at 180degrees. Ten minutes later, I flipped it over and baked for another 180degrees. I then drained all the marinade (which had since turned to a bubbly sauce of a thicker consistency and with natural oil from the chicken's fat) and brushed some over before popping the wings back in for ten more minutes. Again, flipped it one last time after and then poured sauce all over the now-crispy browned wings. Mmmmm! I find cooking chicken at lower temperatures for a longer period results in a fuller flavoured wing that retains its juices and crisps without burning.

All this time, I had boiled about eight organic potatoes bought last week from Gaswork's Farmers Market in Albert Park, and a handful of fresh French beans from the South Melbourne market. No need for extravagant seasonings, just cooked them in brine - water saturated or nearly saturated with a salt.

I also tried my hand at making Beurre Blanc which is basically a 'white butter' sauce. Was not too successful there because I am guilty of not... yes, terrible crime, using butter. Bah! We live and we learn - I'm definitely getting myself a lovely block of unsalted organic butter for my next attempt. Perhaps I shall try my hand at Bechamel next?

Here are the resulting pictures of my finished product. Salmon flakes away perfectly in individual pieces (not brittle and breaking away), with the exterior a light cooked pink, but once you cut in the colour deepens slightly and with a succulent texture. Sauce could be improved in terms of texture (I kept the shallots in so it doesn't seem broken up) and there's no way I could've gone wrong with the beans and spuds. In all, a very satisfying experience and one that I'd like to practice on a more often basis! 8/10 for efforts to myself!

Until my next post! X

Marrying my two faves - beer & pork belly!

From Chinese hot pot, to beer-friendly grub in a converted Fitzroy warehouse. I had plans this evening with some friends to head for Chong Qing Hot Pot - perfect Winter chills-buster but due to last minute re-shuffle of plans, I had to rethink where to go with a friend instead.

We had first come from a warm cuppa of hot chocolate at a "secret" bar on the second floor of the Abbotsford Convent. Cold and shivery, we had no clue where to go this Saturday night - MoVida? Nacional... Mr Wolf? Places which have been recommended, but I haven't had a chance to sample yet since returning to Melbourne. Undecided and not too starved, I decided to head to Brunswick St Fitzroy and have a looksee.

Parked on Brunswick St and followed the trail of happy voices into an old converted warehouse. Little Creatures Dining Hall - it was labelled. Inside, it was warm, darkened and I caught a whiff of delicious beer aroma. A waitress soon came and brought us to a cozy table in the middle of the dining hall, before proceeding to explain how the menu worked.

(above: we sat next to these hollow blocks filled with books on beer brewing!)

(above: simple one page menu attached with a ratty string onto a brown clipboard, very raw and unfinished feeling, i like)

Either: Tasting Morsels to share (about 2 per person would suffice), prices range from $7 - 19 and there was an assortment of cured and pickled goodies, deep-fried, dips. Pizza is good for two people to share, together with other munchies, or if we were hungry we could go solo and head for the Mains. We chose the whole crystal bay garlic prawns, confit pork belly, silverbeet and grain mustard sauce and a spicy meatball, tomato, buffalo mozzarella and oregano pizza. Liquids wise, I had a Rogers ale (smooth, amber ale with caramel notes from the malt and 3.8% alcohol content) and my dining bud had a Pinot Noir. Beers were Little Creatures and White Rabbit, and came in three sizes - small, medium and large. I opted for the medium (330ml i think) so that I had more space for grub and not be over the alcohol limit.

The whole crystal bay garlic prawns arrived first. Served with two grilled toast slices on the side, and a wedge of lemon, the four prawns (complete with head and tails) were simply divine! They sat partially swimming in a shallow pond of olive oil, tossed with what i believe was basil leaves and had just the right amount of salt that didn't overwhelm the prawns or force us to gulp down water. I rate it 7 out of 10, because although very delish, four pieces is definitely not enough for the $18 price tag!

Confit pork belly served up next. Finely sliced 3mm french-style pork belly (good ratio of meat and fat, with a healthy crisp skin on top) sat about a dainty mound of silverbeet cooked in a yellow mustard sauce. Note: must eat pork belly while hot because the meat and fat literally melts in your mouth. Skin cracked beautifully when it was warm, got slightly chewy upon cooling down. I give this a 8.5/10 only because the five slices for $16 finished way too quickly!

The pizza came last. Thin crust (woodfired??) pizza with generous dollops of buffalo mozzarella, crumbles of spicy meat (they weren't in real balls as the menu suggested), quarters of cherry tomatoes and a sprinkling of fresh baby herbs made up the $20 tag on this dish. I'd rate this 7/10 because there wasn't really a kick to the "spice". Then again, with my Peranakan tastebuds I'm probably much more accustomed to the spiciness of chili padi (aka bird's eye chili in Australia) and a kick to me would set many a tongues on fire!

All in all, a good dining experience with a not too expensive price tag. We skipped dessert because we had some chocolate spoons from The Chocolate Masters (38 Beecher St, Preston). A must-go for bigger groups, and those who love sharing platters.

(above: two double-wheelers painted little creatures tm red sat by the front entrance, reminding us patrons of the bike-loving community that frequent the area)

Until the next post! X

Food and cold weather - ahhh, how could I forget what Melbourne promises?

Gotta say, I'm quite loving the research I'm doing at the moment. Armed with a cool glass of milk and my trust H&K slightly cacak notebook (sorry la, but it's lost the plot after the 18mth), I decided to plow my way thru a list of Aussie suppliers taking part in an exciting Melbourne food festival I'm working on later this year.

Designer cupcakes, organic meats, luxury ice-cream, wine, cheese, chocolate...! the list goes on. There were stories of humble beginnings, of local farmers hit badly by the Black Saturday catastrophe, various recipes and food & wine reviews... Wow, I am bowled over by the offerings this country has! Being away for nearly three years and I had almost forgotten the freshness and high quality of tasty food Oz churns out. No wonder the strict custom laws!

Another thing I'd almost forgotten how bitterly chilly it is. Weather has turned to EXTRA chilly too - a high of 11 degrees and a low of seven tomorrow with showers predicted. Locals would laugh at my freezing tootsies, but I should be forgiven! Three months back and we're fully into winter already! So far, so good. Only had a case of blocked ears...Brrrr! I've started wearing my thermals (thanks V!) and thicker leggings. I've also heeded the advice of a wise man who's told me to walk to work for exercise and to warm up. A good dose of fresh morning air is invigorating for the brain, and I daresay walking helps me wake up by the time I get into office! Yes - I do live a mere eight minutes (walking) from work! How convenient is that!

I'm thinking of the many activities to do this week. Seems really busy! I must be consistent and pen down my thoughts and upload pictures too... Somehow, I tend to sit and space out way too much. No more of that, and now off to bed for me where I get to zone out for a good seven hours. Ahhhh, bliss!

Until next post. X

A new challenge every day! (the how to guide to not procrastinating)

I've decided to start blogging again. It's going to be a regular part of my life because it suddenly hit me that I'm 27-bloody-years old which means I'm in my late 20's and I look back and it's like,omfg. Where has my life gone to?

Ok- I'm going to start being focused and get off my ass every night! It's been so routine, wake up go to work come home have dinner bathe wipe some pee play fetch and would you believe it? Midnight already!!

First up this weekend, dustee bustee time! Tomorrow I'm going to a snooza pet bed sale in braeside. Thank god for iPhone and google maps! Who needs a melways to get around anyway? I'll get her another bed or two and then head to South Melbourne pet supply store. I sometimes feel all her chew toys smell a bit like pee. Yikes!!

Today dustee has decides to chew her squeaky toy and brush it up against my face. Totally a facial on a freezing Friday night. Thanks pooch. You sure are my beacon of light at the end of a dark tunnel... Not! Anyway, I'll better get back to her because she demands my attention...

Until my next post...

disengaged - the Singaporean way of life

Disengaged.

That's how Singaporeans can be best described. No offence to people born and bred in the country (seeing that I'm one too) but honestly, at times, we seem to entrapped in our own little bubble of thoughts that we scarce can see through the thin film surrounding us.

We're oblivious:-

- to old people on the train, to pregnant mothers, to an injured sportsman who's walking on crutches

- to the people who don't seem as LOUD as the cool bunch

- to the car in the next lane

- and the list can go on, but let me just stop here.

Why this occurrence? Not really sure. I'm not a planner from the government, I'm just an observer. I'm a Singaporean too, and being back in Singapore for just over two years has opened my eyes up to so many things that I never saw about the country before. Unfortunately, disengaged Singaporeans stick out like a sore thumb. It's almost as if they were created ala-Matrix style - hanging on a pod, in a gloomy depressing place, and we were brought up to work towards creating an efficient paradise. A tiny island in the sea, surrounded by vastlands of the other neighbouring countries in this region. Robots, almost, yet with a deep sense of emotional attachments to all things material. We work towards achieving our goals - a bigger bag, a car, a house renovation. We strive to achieve NOT personal aims but to prove ourselves to people. To make a mark in this world.

I shiver at the thought sometimes. Is it really necessary for such cut-throat competitiveness? Do we honestly need to shy away from having a personality? From being a true person?

I'm sure many may disagree with me. May say that I'm blinded by God-Knows-What and have formed some delusional impression of this place I should be calling my home. But at the end of the day, disengaged souls form the "people" who are here. And I am forced to ask myself, do I want to be a part of this massive project?

Memoirs by my Master's best friend.

It's funny watching how my owner cries. Almost as if she can feel my presence next to her. I am by her side. I promised her silently the day she brought me home that I'd never leave her side and I'm going to stick to my words. Keeping my promise hasn't ben easy. No. Not while I'm like this. Invisible to the eye. A mere spirit. Without so much as a breath in this world.

She senses me though, remembers how I looked at her with those big,soulful eyes, always pleading for a cuddle. I think she misses me now. And I miss her. I miss being alive.

It was a cold night when my Master found me. I prefer to call her Mom. She was,is, the only mother i've ever known. And she was the best. That very night when she took me home was also my first month into the world. She now tells people that the second last day of March is my birthday. I'm not one to argue with her. 30 March 2003 was indeed a day etched in both our memories. It was the day that we found each other. And also the day my whole life changed.