Oh-Goodies Snack Box: October

And we’re back with the Halloween edition of the Oh-Goodies Snack Box from MadeReal SG.

I definitely preferred this month’s box to last month’s paleo edition. The October box featured some pretty unique snacks, including wild mushrooms (they were crispy), apple-spiced quinoa granola, and citrus rings.

The apple-spiced quinoa granola was awesome! The oats were still crispy, and you could taste the crispy quinoa bits here and there. I was a bit skeptical of the use of quinoa in the granola, but they didn’t affect the taste. The apple flavour wasn’t very strong, but the sweetness was nice. This would be perfect with some greek yogurt.

I have yet to try the citrus rings, but I’m sure they’ll be a nice change to plain old tea bags. I appreciate the effort to offer something that stands out from the usual items 😛

I used the trick-or-treating trail mix to make some of my oatmeal-on-the-go bars for snacking, and stirred in some extra peanut butter chips as well. Everything paired nicely, with the bittersweet dark chocolate chips, tart cranberries and crunch from the pumpkin seeds.

I’m thinking of using the brazil nuts to make some pesto. All you need to do is blend brazil nuts, fresh basil, parmesan cheese and olive oil and you’ve got homemade pesto ready to go!

Peanut butter apple slices were slightly disappointing since they gave plain ol’ peanuts, which are kind of a cheap alternative to cashews and walnuts etc. The amount of apple chips inside were measly as well. I wasn’t impressed.

The mushroom chips are… actually really nice! I thought they would be gross, but I liked them. They are kinda sweet, and very crispy. The sweetness and the earthy flavour from the mushroom chips go well together, despite my initial reservations.

Well, there you have it for this month’s box!

Happy (belated) Halloween 😀

What the Hygge? – Food brings people together

What the hygge? is an initiative by a friend of mine, Pam and her friends Wex and Rachel. Pam and Wex prepare the food, while Rachel makes the most beautiful designs.

Hygge is a danish word, and essentially refers to creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with equally wonderful people. Perhaps Kinfolk can sum it up better:

What the Hygge?

“Hygge is a coziness we feel and crave – the atmosphere that comes as we spend time with our loved ones, in candlelight, with good food and other soul warmers like a crackling fire… It comes from taking genuine pleasure in making simple everyday things and enjoying them.” — The Kinfolk Table

Needless to say, when they first launched this concept of Hygge last year, I was extremely excited since it embodied everything I hoped to see in Singapore- Forming a community by having conversations about meaningful topics over great food (well-cooked and in it’s most natural form, as far from the preservative/chemical laden food we get daily).

I finally had a chance to attend this year, and I absolutely loved the experience. The theme for the Hygge I attended was Sustainability, which is an issue I feel strongly about, especially after my WWOOFing trip in June this year.

The details of why they chose this team, and some very interesting reads and videos about this topic can be found on their website here. I could go on and on, but I feel that they summarised it perfectly in their post. I’ll just focus on my experience at Hygge instead!

I barely have any photos, since the picnic started at 7pm, and it was starting to get dark, especially with the gloom from the haze.

Singapore does have it’s beauty too! This was taken on our way to the kayaking platform at Macritchie Reservoir. I love how it’s mysterious, yet beckoning.

When we arrived, there were already quite a few people there. I was eager to meet new people and to learn about their lives and why they were here!

With the wind gently blowing our hair, and the heaviness of the hazy air on us, we huddled around the picnic mat, listening to introductions as the candle flames flickered with the wind. The food was laid out in the centre, and I couldn’t help but think about how food is central to our lives, yet we often look at it merely as a necessity for survival, rather than truly savouring the food and the conversations that often accompany these meals with people who matter.

As we went through each course together, Pam and Wex explained the reasons for choosing to include the dish in the menu and the ingredients that they included in the dishes which related back to the issue of Sustainability. For example, barley which is a low value crop was included in the tabouleh since it helps to replenish nitrogen in the soils (which are being fast depleted to meet our demands for food). Wex also included home-grown basil leaves in the tabouleh to encourage the Farm-to-Table concept and to inspire us to try our hand at growing our own food. Beef cheeks were used to make the beef bourguignon since it is a cheaper cut of meat, and supports the idea of nose-to-tail dining, since no part would go to waste. Although the more popular cuts of beef are preferred for their tenderness, if cooked well, beef cheeks can be mouthwateringly tender as well (as executed by Pam and Wex — It was delicious)

I really appreciated the effort they made in linking each dish back to the theme, and teaching us about such a wide range of topics from farming to the meat industry and recycling efforts.

Our conversations ranged from WWOOFing to chef adventures and simply getting to know each other better and one another’s opinions on food sustainability. Two hours flew by, and I felt that I had learnt so much about Sustainability, and about the people we were dining with. Even though we were strangers to begin with, by the end of the meal, I felt that we were connected by our common goal to eating and live  more sustainably. We may not meet again, but it’s a nice feeling to know that there is such a community in Singapore. (I even met someone who reads my blog, which was really cool! I’m so glad to have met a reader in person. It warmed my heart to hear that she enjoyed reading my posts, even from 2 years back!)

As we ended, we were given a parting gift of a Grow-Your-Own Basil pot. I loved how much thought and effort went into planning this door gift. We were also asked what we would pledge to do to live sustainably, and to write it on this paper that they prepared for us.

This hygge was not just one of those events where you feel inspired, and then go back to your lives as per normal once you leave. We were called to action, in very manageable ways. Be it through eating less meat or bringing our own lunch boxes to takeaway food… we could all make our own impact in our little ways. It may seem small but every bit counts.

One of my pledges was to cook from scratch, like my hosts on the organic farm. 

After reflecting on what we talked about, perhaps my biggest takeaway was that it starts with us. We may think that we can’t make much of a difference as an individual. But each choice we make is a vote against the current commercial food industry. As pam said, “Every dollar is a vote”. A vote against the horrible conditions the animals are kept in, a vote for the small scale local farmers, a vote for our health. A collective voice to protect our Earth.

Are you not worried about yourselves, or even your (future) children ingesting all these chemicals? Are you not concerned about what goes into your food or where your food comes from? Are you not saddened by the suffering of the animals and the factory workers and farmers?

I am.

Alone we may seem small, but if you think about it, each of our daily choices are what led to the current food industry becoming what it is. Producers are here to meet demand, and we the consumers drive the demand. We were responsible for shaping the current food industry, and we have the power to change it for the better. By demanding less meat so the farmers won’t have to inject growth hormones into the animals to meet our demand, by growing some of our own food to reduce the strain on farmers, by cooking sustainably and doing nose-to-tail/root-to-stalk cooking to minimise food wastage… the possibilities are endless.

The change starts with us.

How will you make an effort to live sustainably today?

Oh-Goodies Snack Box: August (+ Random thoughts on Entrepreneurship)

I realised I’ll always have to review snack boxes a month late… cause it takes me a month to get through the snacks before I can let you guys know my opinion.

Just some spontaneous thoughts, after reviewing a few healthy snack boxes, I realised that a common trend in the business world is to hop on the bandwagon and start a business in an industry that appears to be doing well… only to oversaturate the industry and die out. I see so many businesses losing sight of why they even began, and getting caught up in profit-making that their product/service loses its personality. To survive, you have to be unique, and stay unique and true to your original intentions. It always helps to give back to society be it through donating some of your profits to a charity or promoting a cause you feel strongly about.

That said, I strongly support the idea of starting your own business, especially if it is something you feel strongly about and I admire Roslyn and Fangmin for coming this far. I came up with some business suggestions at the end of this post, so that might be useful 🙂

But without further ado, let’s move on to my review of the August Box!

This month’s theme was The Independence Edition, which featured products from local producers. 

I really liked that they supported the local businesses for this month’s box, rather than importing everything. We do have promising businesses in Singapore, and I think they should be given a chance to make a name for themselves.

There was the usual drink from TOP Taste:
Peppermint Honey Drink

It was okay. Better than the almond drink previously, which I didn’t enjoy. But not something I love.

Arab Dates:

It was my first time trying dates actually, so I don’t have anything to benchmark it against. I liked it though! I don’t see how some people can eat more than 10 dates? They are SO sweet.

Gula Melaka Cookies:

Like the laksa cookies in the previous box, this was my favourite!! The gula melaka flavour wasn’t super pronounced, but it was there. More of a butter cookie with a hint of gula melaka. Two thumbs up!

Banana chips:

It was good, but I’d rather eat a fresh banana haha. I could smell the vegetable oil, which wasn’t terribly appealing. It was almost diesel-like 😦

Pili Nuts:

The Philippines Trade Industry sent me Pili Nuts previously, so I’m no stranger to Pili Nuts. These were the same. Nuts will be nuts!

Kaya Granola:

My next favourite item in the box! It was crazy. At first it just tastes sweet, then the kaya flavour hits you. And you just want to keep munching. It was so weird. They included desiccated coconut inside as well which was a nice touch (since kaya is a coconut jam).

Roasted Black Beans:

It was as the name stated. Hahaha. But yup, I can’t exactly make black beans sound like a gastronomical wonder.

Ideas for Made Real! (and other healthy snack boxes out there)

As a business/accountancy student, I look at things from the business standpoint. I do understand the need to make profits, and the constraints of delivering certain products. But in order to sustain a business, you need to create a product that is unique so that you won’t be swamped with direct competitors. You should offer a product that your customers cannot easily create/access without your service, so that would identify a need for your product.

I liked how the independent producers incorporated a local element into their products. I didn’t really see how the dates/black beans were very unique/singaporean, but I guess food is food. I feel that there is a lot more potential to healthy eating then just sticking to the conventional foods like fruit and nuts. By default, these are go-to healthy snacks, but I think to really stand out, the products need to go beyond the norm. Or at least create something out of these basic ingredients! After all, I can get my own dried fruits/nuts, so you need to convince me (or the consumer) why we should choose you, instead of another supplier, or even not at all!

So a suggestion to Made Real, since you already have connections with these local producers, you could work something out with them to healthify their products and set yourself apart from the health boxes, I think local health food producers could be your unique selling point!

Shopping with Lazada Singapore

Online shopping is becoming popular these days given the convenience and lower prices… with the perks of not being pressured by an overly eager (or grumpy) salesperson.

Lazada Singapore is Southeast Asia’s largest shopping mall. Much like the Amazon of Southeast Asia, I would say.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to review Lazada Singapore’s services using some vouchers sponsored by the company.

So as always, I’ll start with a disclaimer:
No payment was received for this post, although I did receive Lazada vouchers to use the service. As always, all opinions are my own 😀

Lazada Singapore has a rather easy to navigate interface as you can see, with clear categories and sub-categories for easy browsing. I noticed that they tend to have many deals on offer, which is great for bargain-hunting Singaporeans 😛

I’ve been wanting to get a blender for ages, so that I can make smoothies, different kinds of pesto and what not. So… this seemed like the perfect opportunity!

I easily found my way to “Home Appliances” and then “Small Kitchen Appliances” and the Nutribullet 900W caught my eye. Haha, I feel like I’m talking about a fancy sportscar here.

I breezed through the usual payment, and that was it!

Almost immediately, I received a text from Lazada:

And an email to confirm my order too:

 

I liked how quick the system worked to produce these confirmation emails and texts. It was nearly instantaneous! Kudos to Lazada Singapore for the fast service updates. It reminds me of how quick Foodpanda was.

Again, like Foodpanda, they keep track of your order and update you as it is being shipped and once it has been shipped.

Ninjavan must be a pretty big thing these days, and I received a text from them about my parcel delivery.

I secretly love receiving texts like this. It’s like a surprise at my doorstep. And Ninja sounds way cooler than postman/delivery man, don’t you think?

I would like to give a shoutout to Ninjavan, in particular the guy who was my Ninja, for the amazing service. He came when no one was at home, and he very kindly agreed to come back at another time without being angsty about it.

Keep up the good service Ninjavan 😀 This was my second time using Ninjavan, and I still give them two thumbs up.

I think it was just one or two days later when my blender was delivered! They are extremely fast with their deliveries.

Again, you’ll receive an online update that your good has been delivered:

My parcel was wrapped in a black plastic film, a thicker version of the black trash bags we have in Singapore. That was my only gripe… that the wrapping wasn’t eco-friendly (maybe Lazada Singapore could choose to use a paper wrapping instead?)

But that aside, the box was delivered in great condition.

After a long week, coming home to Lazada’s super efficient delivery was the best feeling ever. It was like Christmas came early 😀

I’m so excited to try out the Nutribullet. It even comes with a recipe book and multiple blender cups.

Lazada Singapore also offers a wide range of other products, including Phillips Air Fryers and the Nescafe Dolce Gusto Coffee Machines.

This post seems rather short, but it’s because Lazada’s shopping experience was simple and easy to use that there isn’t much to comment about. If I had to sum it up in a word, it would simpy be: FAST. 

Try them out for yourself and you’ll see what I mean!

I’m one happy camper today 😀

Thanks Lazada for the opportunity to try your service and Ninjavan for the great delivery service. 🙂

[Invited Tasting]: The DEN + The Entertainer App

Have you heard of The DEN? It’s a European-style bistro by day and a tapas cum bar at night. They are a revamp of Bartini Kitchen, located at Boon Tat Street.

Now, even though this was an invited tasting, I want to assure you that as always, all opinions are my own, and I’m here to give you an honest review of their food.

The DEN is one of the restaurants offering the 1-for-1 deals which can be redeemed through the Entertainer app. But more on that later.

Let’s talk about the food that we tried!

We were given the pleasure of sampling various food items from their lunch and dinner menu.

(Pardon my photos, dim bar lighting isn’t exactly the ideal setting for photo taking)

We started off with some salads to sample. There are the nicest photos of the lot, since we managed to take them under nice white light.

Zucchini Veggie Dish (Dinner) $8
Lemon zest, soy caviar, parmesan, toasted cashew nuts

Why hold off the best for last? My ultimate favourite dish was this light salad. The zucchini was fresh and crunchy, with a slight Parmesan taste, and a nice sour kick from the lemon zest. It was a great way to start the meal.

Textures are very important to me, and I like how the softness of the zucchini paired with the crunchy cashew nuts and the bursts of flavour from the soy caviar. A simple but well executed dish.

Watermelon Salad (Lunch) $10
Watermelon Rind Pickle, Feta, Mint, Sunflower seeds, farro, mesclun.

I’m not too sure what a watermelon rind pickle is… but the watermelon was fresh and juicy. I couldn’t taste the feta as there was only a small sprinkling. The sunflower seeds were soft, and actually tasted more like brown rice/barley pearls to me.. maybe they substituted it for the evening? Nonetheless, the chewiness balanced the crisp watermelon nicely.

Here’s another view of the watermelon salad! Just like a typical salad, the ingredients are just piled atop a fresh bed of mesclun veggies.

Beetroot Salad (Lunch) $10
Walnuts, Mesclun, Oranges, Quinoa, Rocket, Beetroot

I liked this salad too! The candied walnuts added a nice crunch and sweetness. The beetroot was finely diced and sweet as well. Matched with crunchy quinoa, it was quite a flavourful combination. However, the flavours were generally milder than the other two, not that it is a bad thing.

Lotus Root Chips (Dinner) $7

Here, we have a modern take on our beloved lotus root. I love lotus root soup, so seeing it in this form was something new to me. The lotus root chips were well-fried, and remained crisp and light.

They paired nicely with the slightly bitter cauliflower dip (which dip not taste like cauliflower at all). However, my only gripe is that it was a tad too oily, and my fingers were stained in oil. I guess that may be unavoidable when it comes to deep frying?

Seafood Mafalda Pasta (Lunch) $13
Fish, squid, prawns, tomato&cream sauce, yuzu dressed rocket salad, fettucine

This was alright. There was not enough sauce to coat the pasta, hence the taste wasn’t very strong. Kudos to them as the pasta al dente. And the squid was well-cooked.

The yuzu dressed rocket salad was a nice contrast to an otherwise heavy pasta dish.

Truffle and Parma Bikini (Dinner) $15
Parma ham, truffle paste, vintage cheddar, parmesan

Let’s bring on the truffles! Honestly, I don’t know why so many people love truffle. It smells like diesel to me (heh, don’t be hatin’)

Anyway, if you like truffle, you’ll like this, as the truffle taste was very very strong. The toast was crispy and the cheese was gooey.

It was an interesting started since they managed to make a simple sandwich look rather presentable. But it was too oily once again, maybe they overdid it with the truffle oil or the oil they used to pan fry the toast.

I couldn’t really taste the parma ham as the truffle was too overpowering. So perhaps they could reduce the truffle or just omit the parma ham.

Truffle Bacon Mushroom Pizza (Dinner) $18
Bacon and garlic béchamel, shiitake mushrooms and truffle

Woopee. More truffle! Haha. It was cold by the time I got to it so it was rather tough. Once again, like the truffle toast, it was oily. (Hold back on the truffle oil maybe?)  It was just okay to me. I liked the thin crust though, and it would probably have taste much better if it was fresh out of the oven.

The crust was so thin, almost as thin as a tortilla! Which made it perfect for a starter since it wouldn’t expand in our tummies.

Pigs In A Blanket (Dinner) $10
Spicy Italian sausages wrapped in bacon, double mustard.

There was a really strong herb taste in the sausage, possibly mint or parsley, which wasn’t very tasty to me. The concept was good though, and coated in the mustard, you can hide the taste of the herbs.

They did attempt at plating though, so I’ll give it to them. Oh dear, I just realised how sadistic the name is. The ‘pigs’ are in a blanket made out of themselves (bacon). That’s so sad… 😦

Truffle Mac and Cheese (Lunch) $12
Truffle, Cheddar cheese, Mozzarella cheese, Gouda, Mushrooms, Diced Spicy Italian Sausage (Vegetarian option available)

Surprise surprise, more truffle! There was just a truffle blob in the middle though, which didn’t make much sense in terms of aesthetics and taste… The Mac and Cheese was well…Cheesy.

It was literally bright yellow inside. I’m not sure if the bright yellow comes from good quality cheese… but it reminds me of the colour of nacho cheese, although it didn’t taste like nacho cheese.

There were bits of sausage inside, which seemed to have some truffle oil. Despite not being a mac&cheese person, I must admit, the pasta was nice.

Each macaroni was oozing/bursting with cheese!! I mean just look at that.

Okay, just one last photo, since the lighting was pretty good here. Haha. Say Cheeseeeee. (One person wouldn’t be able to finish this alone though, you’ll get so sick of the cheesy richness)

Grilled Squid (Dinner) $15
Chilli, garlic, anchovy, kaffir lime leaf

There was that strong herb taste again, which I’m attributing to the kaffir lime leaf. Even though it doesn’t look that great, the squid was well cooked but I felt the seasoning could be better. (Note: Better not stronger.)

Perhaps instead of kaffir lime, more spice could be used.

Pork Belly (Dinner) $18
48-hour slow-cooked pork belly, apple kimchi, stewed granny apples

The stewed apples were nice. They tasted like apple pie. The pork belly looked fried, rather than slow-cooked for 48 hours. I didn’t try it though, cause I have an aversion to pork belly, and any other edible organs. I tried the ‘apple kimchi’ which just tasted like fresh apples. But I think it was quite smart to add them, since it gives the rich dish some tartness.

I heard another blogger commenting that it was too oily, but I can’t vouch for that since I didn’t try it.

Den Wings (Dinner) $10
Spicy in house marinade, BBQ dip

THIS was great! It was hot and crispy. Coated with BBQ sauce which taste a little bit like sweet chili.

It was very well done, and the skin remained crispy despite being covered in sauce. It was good. I definitely recommend this along with the zucchini salad.

Apple Crumble (Dinner) $8
Apples stewed in Muscovado sugar, brandied currants and vanilla bean ice cream

They used the same apples that were served with pork belly. Hmm, smart way to save prep time… But I feel kind of cheated. Anyway, this dessert was just okay. Your run-of-the-mill apple crumble.

Brownie (Dinner) $8
Bourbon bacon brownie soil, candied bacon, vanilla bean ice cream

There’s a funny story here. When I tried a mouthful, it tasted like bakkwa. Which is barbecued pork. It was very chewy and even had the fibrous taste of bakkwa. I commented that this was a really really strange taste for a brownie to have. My friend even said it smells like henna. But…

Then we realised, that it was actually candied bacon. Hahahaha. So the ‘bakkwa” was candied bacon and not the brownie that I thought.

Sadly I can’t comment on the brownie, cause I thought the mouthful I ate was the strange meat-tasting brownie.

And… to end off nicely, here’s a photo of my foodie friend and I 😀
(Haha, check out my Wonderwoman EZLink card on my lap)

Well that concludes my review on the DEN!

I know loads of people love truffle, but i think they could go easier on the truffles. I think my tastebuds were so coated in truffle oil midway, that I could barely taste or smell anything else apart from truffles. I probably left smelling like truffles. (I know some people wouldn’t mind haha) And while there were some hits and misses, there is potential, and with some tweaks, their food would be pretty decent for a tapas bar!

They had good service though, so brownie points for that 🙂

The Entertainer App:
Now back to the app I mentioned earlier,

The Entertainer offers more than 800 Buy One Get One Free offers for Singapore’s hottest restaurants, bars, informal dining, spas, activities, attractions and more. This year’s product includes the Entertainer Travel 2015, which features over 250 free night offers at leading 4 and 5* hotels across Asia and beyond.

The Entertainer Singapore app retails at S$75 but get it right now at the early bird price of S$60. The Entertainer Singapore book, which contains the same coupons in paper format, is now priced at S$75 (usual price S$80) and is also available for purchase at http://www.theentertainerasia.com or selected bookstores.

The app is really easy to use:
1) The offers are listed by location, so it’s easy for you to find great deals nearby

2) Just select the offer you want (Let’s use Ben and Jerry’s as an example, since I love Ben and Jerry’s)

3) Click on the offer and key in your PIN! The staff will do the same on their side, and your redemption will be processed! (All done at the outlet before you pay)

Easy no?

So enough with the words, let’s get down to business. Just go on ahead and download the app while it’s on sale.

You know what? I have an even better deal for you…
Key in the discount code “2015ALVIN” to enjoy another 10% discount. (Yes I know we’re all cheapskates at heart)

Many thanks to the Entertainer for inviting me to this event, and to DEN for hosting us with the lovely contemporary European comfort food and drinks.

DEN
29 Boon Tat Street
Singapore 069624

Tel: 6220 0629
www.den.com.sg
facebook.com/den.singapore
instagram @den.sg

RECIPE: No-Knead (to worry) Cinnamon Rolls

Yes, you read it correctly…even if you are an amateur baker, there’s no knead to worry 😛

Haha, I just had to.

But seriously, there isn’t any kneading required, so all my fellow lazy bakers can heave a sigh of relief. These cinnamon rolls are divine and a cinch to make! I’ve always wanted to make cinnamon rolls, and finally got down to making them. I’m so glad I did.

Rather than making normal sized cinnamon rolls, I decided to make mini cinnamon rolls instead. After all, who can resist bite-sized treats?

I won’t keep you waiting, since you’ll probably just scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe anyway. Oh please, wipe than grin off your face, you know you weren’t going to read this post properly. You were probably just planning to skim through the photos and scroll down to check out the recipe. I’m guilty of doing that sometimes. You’re forgiven 🙂

Just a note, I halved the recipe and made 16 mini rolls, so what you see is less than what you’ll get if you follow the exact recipe!

No-Knead (to worry) Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (Adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:
(makes 12 ~ 15 normal sized rolls)

for dough:
250ml (1 cup) milk 
50g (1/4 cup) sugar (I used brown sugar)
62.5ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil 
1 teaspoon Instant yeast (or 1.5 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast)
250g (2 cups) + 30g (1/4 cup) plain flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon (scant) baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

for filling:
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
50g (1/4 cup) sugar (I used brown sugar)
50g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter (melted)


Method:

• Mix milk, sugar and vegetable oil in a pan. Scald (heat until just before boiling) the mixture. Leave to cool for 45mins ~ 1 hour.
• Place 250g (2 cups) plain flour and Instant yeast in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the above mixture. Stir with a spatula until the mixture comes together to form a thick batter. (If using Active Dry Yeast, sprinkle the yeast into the mixture and let it sit for a minute before adding it to the plain flour.) Cover and let the batter sit for at least 1 hour.
• Add in the remaining 30g (1/4 cup) flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir until the mixture comes together. Either go ahead to make the rolls or cover and leave to chill in fridge over night or until needed. If left to chill, check the dough and punch it down by folding with a spatula if the dough rises almost to the rim of the mixing bowl. (Note: dough will be more firm and easier to work with if left to chill in fridge).
• When ready to make the rolls, mix ground cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
• Dust the work surface freely with flour. Dust the top and bottom of dough with flour. Roll out the dough into a rectangular shape. Then roll out as thin as possible. Dust the dough and work surface with flour when necessary.
• Brush the rolled out dough with melted butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture evenly over the surface.
• Start from the opposite end of the dough, roll the dough neatly in a line towards you. Roll as tightly as possible. Dust fingers with flour if the dough feels sticky. Pinch the seams to seal.
• Cut into 1 inch thick slices and arrange on baking pan lined with parchment paper (or greased with butter). Place the rolls close together so that they are almost touching.
• Cover and leave to rise for 30mins (1 hour if dough was left to chill over night) or until the rolls double in size. (Note: the rolls can be left to chill in the fridge over night and bake them the next morning. If rolls have doubled in size, bake them right away. Otherwise leave to sit on counter until double in size before baking.)
• Bake in preheated oven at 180degC for 20mins until golden brown.

To give you a visual idea:
Right after slicing the cinnamon rolls and lining them in a baking tray, they’ll look like this…

After you leave them to rise, they’ll look like this…

And after you bake them, they’ll look like this!!

Good things come to those who wait eh? Check out the fluffy rolls of happiness. I was so pleased with the outcome. But I’m not kidding about the waiting though. You have to be around the whole day to make these. Or at least for a few hours. Because you have to do the first step, and wait for an hour, do the second step and wait for another hour… Of course you should be productive and do something else while waiting (Like how I used my time meaningfully, by jumping onto my comfy couch and watching a movie)

The swirls are guaranteed to be nice, so no worries there! If I can do it, so can you! 😀

I know I look like a hot sticky mess here, but I was just so pleased with how they turned out I have to post a photo of myself with the rolls to prove that I made these babies. And to make sure that I’ll remember this moment forever. Hahaha. I’m easily satisfied.

I didn’t make a glaze for these cinnamon rolls, but please go ahead if you want the full experience! I personally don’t like icing or glaze of any sort (Cupcakes are wasted on me, I usually scrape off the icing heh) but you may want to drizzle some over for added sweetness.

I used brown sugar since I feel that it adds a more robust flavour to the rolls, and brings out the cinnamon scent better. But it’s up to you.

To heat them up, just toast them in a small oven for about 2-3 minutes and you’re good to go. The smell of the cinnamon is the best thing ever. Cinnamon always reminds me of christmas and cosy family outings. I love love love the smell of cinnamon.

Imagine the smell of cinnamon coming from the warm toasty oven, and the feel of the soft warm and delightfully fluffy bread on your fingertips. Could anything be more comforting? Well, maybe add in a steaming hot cup of cocoa and we’re good to go. Turn on the air-conditioning and enjoy this moment, forget the sweltering heat in Singapore and just let your imagination take you away to a cold winter wonderland.

Now that’s how you take a mental holiday.

Happy baking!

 

Maki-san: Taking sushi to a whole new level

First off, my sincerest apologies to all my readers. I know that I’ve been MIA for a while now, I just didn’t realise it was more than a month since my last post!

I haven’t been able to drag my lazy butt to do a post since I just wanted a break from all this food stuff. It does get a little tiring to have your life revolve around food all the time. I mean, I am still passionate about my food and cooking and all, but sometimes it’s nice to take a break from having to snap photos of what you eat all the time. I hope you all understand where I’m coming from.

During this short hiatus, I’ve been doing some thinking, and I will probably be branching out to other topics that I am passionate about, like health&fitness and cooking, since there’s so much more to life that food right?

Well, nonetheless, I’m finally back with a long overdue post about… MAKI-SAN.

I’ve been having quite a fetish with sushi lately, especially salmon sushi and tamagoyaki sushi (My two favorites!) so a post on a sushi eatery was in order.

At Maki-san, you get to customise your sushi to suit your preferences. They allow you to choose from a whole variety of fillings from grilled veggies to salmon and even pork floss! The full selection on their menu can be found here.

After the efficient sushi masters put together your sushi order, they will place your sushi roll into a machine to be cut into 8 pieces before packaging them. The whole system kind of reminds me of a factory concept, just that it’s on display for everyone to see!

They serve their sushi in adorable containers which can be re-used! Most people keep the pretty casings and even use it to make creative cardboard wallets!

Here’s just a sneak peek at what various sushi rolls looks like:
This is what one of my friend’s ordered, I can’t remember what she chose, but I know she ordered a little san!

Here’s what another friend ordered… It was a mega-san, but again I can’t remember her exact order. (Wouldn’t it be creepy if I remembered their orders? Hahaha)

As for me,  I ordered a Mega San ($9.90) which came with a complimentary miso soup (worth $1.50) Maybe it was a student promotion, but whatever it is, I’m not complaining.

In an attempt to be healthy, I ordered brown rice instead of white sushi rice. On hindsight, I would suggest that you stick to sushi rice, it holds together better and tastes better in sushi. After all, it is sushi rice for a reason. I chose the seaweed wrap (there’s another option of a soy wrap, but it looked strangely yellow so I gave it a miss) with grilled mushroom, grilled eggplant, avocado, tamagoyaki, roasted mixed peppers, salmon sashimi, bonito flakes, garlic aioli. 

It was nice and big, although it was slightly hard to eat cause the seaweed was chewy, so the roll kept falling apart. I really liked how you could choose what you wanted, cause everyone has their own, sometimes strange, tastes.  Don’t worry about it not working, if you like the ingredients you choose, somehow you’ll like them even when their all combined together, even if it seems weird.

I recommend the Mega san over the Little San, even though it costs more, since you get more fillings! I mean who wouldn’t want to get to choose even more yummy fillings right?

Maki-san also offers salads with a similar customizable ordering style if you aren’t into sushi. But I would still recommend the sushi over the salads since you can customize salads at most salad bars, but customizing your own sushi? Now that’s a novelty.

While the sushi may not be mind-blowingly good, in fact it’s just average, it is still great fun to have a role in creating your perfect sushi roll. I would be definitely be back again for their affordable prices, cute designs and creative concept!

Rating: 7/10 (+1 for customizable fun!)

Address:
2 Handy Rd, S229233
6737 8772

 

HOUSE@Dempsey: Vintage High-Tea Buffet

It’s time for an extremely overdue post! This review on the hightea at HOUSE@Dempsey got pushed back by almost a whole year because I kept eating good food that I wanted to share with you all immediately.

Well, get comfortable, cause you’re in for a treat. HOUSE@Dempsey is the high-tea buffet to go for, and judging by the influx of nomworthy photos you’re about to see, I can already foresee that you will need little convincing to go and try this high tea buffet for yourself.

Above, you’ll see empty plates…that was all we left behind after enjoying 3 hours of non-stop eating. We definitely left with our bellies filled, and smiles on our faces.

High tea is quintessential to any lovely lady’s life. Whether or not guys enjoy it is another matter. For us ladies, we love to dress up in pretty little dresses, and sit down with a cuppa, nibbling on sweet pastries and cake as we chatter with our girlfriends. What makes it even better would be the presentation and ambience at HOUSE@Dempsey. They take the effort to lay out their delectable treats on vintage plates, and offer the most adorable decorations like flags, books and picnic baskets to complete the vibe.

Flowers, vintage plates and books…simple decorations, yet it is easy to find beauty in such simplicity.

Even their drinks are well presented, with a self-serve area of various types of teas to go along with your sweet treats.

Here’s one of their dishes, a simple creamy canape topped with smoked salmon, and embellished with a little egg mayo.

I suppose, I am quite a fan of savoury food. I would gladly choose a savoury sit-down meal, over a slice of cake. Perhaps that’s why my favorite part of the high tea buffet was the Bread Corner!

Freshly baked bread all sliced for you, and an assortment of savoury toppings to go with your bread. Think truffled mushrooms, bolognese sauce, fresh cheese, dried fruits, creamy crabmeat, and even cold pasta for a side. Mmm, heaven.

For the sweeties out there, who love their cakes and cookies, fret not! This buffet was made for you. Majority of the buffet offers sweet desserts, with mini cakes and cookies all decked out like there’s no tomorrow.

Jammie dodgers anyone? Or perhaps some citrusy Orange Cake to add some kick into your life?

Another favorite was the oh-so-decadent chocolate cake which was so rich and good. Just look at that dark beauty, basking in all its glory. Chocolate lovers —  Attack!!!!

I’ve always loved Madelines as a kid, and judging by the perfectly-browned base of these madelines, these are yet another must-try at the buffet.

Truth be told, the hardest part about going to any restaurant is having to choose. Everything just looks so amazing that you want to eat everything. Luckily that won’t be a problem here since you can try everything they have to offer, no holds barred. Yes, that means even these lovely chocolate truffles can find their way to your plate, and you don’t even have to think twice about gobbling them down.

In the background, you can see jars of cookies on offer as well, but I recommend their cakes instead, after all, it’s not everyday you see cakes lined out so prettily for you eh?

Some of their savoury offerings are canapes topped with all kinds of things, like sausages as seen below.

Another perennial favorite is their mini Skinny Pizzas. Cute to look at, but sadly not as nice to eat since the crispy base became soggy after being left on display.

Here’s another shot of the Smoked Salmon Canape from earlier on, twas some good stuff.

I didn’t take a photo of every single plate of food, unlike the other girls there, all equipped with their humongous DSLRs (Notice the hint of jealousy here haha) who were busy snapping away. I needed my food, stat. So here are more photos of what they have to offer, from the close-up view of… my plate!

I don’t really like mixing sweet and savory, so the plate below are my savouries! All were delicious, especially the vietnamese springroll.

For my first round of sweets, I went on a chocolate spree.. mini chocolate cupcakes, and chocolate cake. They were good, but not jaw-droppingly amazing.

Just for the fun of it, I tried mixing a plate of both sweet and savory to balance things out. I still stand by having separate plates for sweet and savory food.

The marble cake in the foreground was worthy of a mention. It was rich and buttery like butter cake, with a nice hint of cocoa.

I liked this mini lemon butter cupcake! Tiny and delicious. 

Pretty little jammie dodgers which were chewy and sweet. Not sure if these are the best, since it was my first time eating a jammie dodger. I had my jammie dodger with a side of a pistachio cream trifle.

Now, back to a few savouries to balance it all off. Don’t mind my alternations between sweet and savory, that’s my secret method to eating more at a buffet, so I don’t get sick of a particular taste.

I topped the freshly sliced bread with some bolognese sauce. Simple homely fare. Mmmm. Sprinkle on more parmesan on top, and it’s like a cute lasagna/pasta canape.

Their truffled mushrooms were scrumptious, but were a tad salty.

Ah yes, you were expecting it this time, I’m shamelessly back to the sweet delights! This pistachio cake was average, not very memorable to be honest, so go ahead and give it a miss.

If something’s good, I’ll have it again. So guess which little bugger made a reappearance?

Here stands their Squid Ink Skinny Pizza. The squid was nicely roasted, not too chewy/rubbery. The base was disappointing though, since it was soggy, and tasteless. I had high hopes for such an interesting dish!

Another skinny pizza I tried fared a wee bit better, with a slight crunch in the base, and the sharp salty kick from the cheese.

Remember the vietnamese spring rolls I mentioned earlier? Well, I had to go back for seconds and thirds… till they stopped replenishing it. The freshness of the crunchy vegetables went perfectly with the sour and spicy Thai Chilli dipping sauce. By far my favorite dish of the lot.

The whole package was completed with the view of the lush greenery surrounding the restaurant. You don’t feel like you’re in a busy city at all!

Even their toilets were well planned out, with vintage hairdresser chairs on display.

What’s more? Their Vintage High Tea Buffet is extremely affordable at just $30++ on every Tuesday and Friday from 3-530pm. They change their menu and decoration every time though, so what you see here may not be what you get on the actual day you visit. Do call in advance to book though, since they are in perpetual demand.

A much younger photo of me. Good food = Happy Girl 😀

Rating: 7.5/10

The Living Cafe: RAW-some dessert

I’ve passed this simple, sleek cafe nestled in the corner of 5th/6th avenue countless times, but never stopped by to try it. On the last day of my A levels, I headed down with my classmate to celebrate! After much deliberation, we finally settle on a Raw Lemon Tart and a Raw Chocolate Tart.

Raw Lemon Tart ($8.50)

The lemon tart was actually pretty yummy. The tart base was rather chewy, possibly due to the use of dates. There was coconut, pistachios and cranberries added to it as well, all of which added a nice variety of textures. Not much crunch, but a whole lot of chewiness. The lemon curd itself was smooth and tart.

They sprinkled the top of the tart with more cranberries and pistachios too, probably just to add colour since the pistachios were rather soggy, and the cranberries became hard after being exposed for too long. All in all, this was not bad for a raw dessert!

Raw Chocolate Tart ($8.50)

This didn’t fare very well, compared to the Raw Lemon Tart. The base was very crumbly, and could barely hold itself together…it resembled sawdust! I think it was made of shredded coconut. As for the filling, it was very rich, and intense. However, it was let down by the grittiness and overpowering sweetness which made us sick of it after a few bites. Skip this dessert, and go for the Lemon Tart instead.

 

I must have had rather high expectations of this eatery, since I felt rather let down by the tarts that I tried. I always imagined it to be really yummy, given the rave reviews by the healthy foodies around. Maybe their tastebuds have been accustomed to the sweetness of stevia or the usage of dates, coconut and cacao in their desserts.

Nonetheless, it was interesting trying out raw desserts, although they are rather pricey. I reckon you pay for the extra time and effort that goes into making and purchasing quality ingredients for these raw desserts. I’m not a raw food convert though… and I wouldn’t be back again for their tarts. With their lovely clean eatery, chill ambience and helpful staff, I’ll probably return to try their savouries. These raw treats aren’t the same as indulging in a proper slice of cake. Yes, that means eggs, sugar, butter, flour… the works. If you’re going to indulge, might as well go all out and satisfy your craving eh?

Rating: 6/10