uR rEsiDent CheF

It's been a long time..

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:44:00 +0000

...Since I last blogged. With work and wedding preparation taking up most of my time, I spent the rest of my available waking hours with my family and friends. Now I understand why certain blogs are left stagnant for months without a single post.

Let me leave you here with a picture of our local limes (about 2cm in diameter) which is sometimes referred to as the calamansi so as not to be confused with the other limes that we have on the market. In one of my previous posts, I have mentioned the different types of lime and have promised to post a picture of the calamansi. So here it is, picture is captured in my aunt's garden.

Thanks for visiting. Continue to eat and stay healthy!

Speaking of Sate and Satay

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:51:00 +0000

After savouring the sweet Indonesian Sate, my inquisitive mind began to question where this simple yet delicious dish originates from. Thanks to Wikipedia, it has provided me with the answer. Satay has its origins in East Java, Indonesia. The trick of producing the satay lies in the marinating of the meat and the dipping sauce. The original Indonesian version is sweeter due to the Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce). The dipping sauce is primarily a mixture of chillies and peanuts. The spices used differ in each country and even in the different regions in Indonesia itself. The marinated meat is then threaded through skewers and grilled over charcoal flame.

You can read more about the various Sate or Satay in this Wikipedia article.

In Singapore, the Satay in Singapore differs according to the ethnicity. Typically, the Satay made by Malays has a pronounced taste of Galangal (a type of Ginger). The Satay dipping sauce has a much coarser texture due to the abundance of chopped peanuts in the sauce.

A simple dish that packs a mouthful of flavour. The Satay.

Land of Sate Ayam and Babi Guling

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:22:00 +0000

I'm back from my vacation. Where did I go? As the title suggests, it is somewhere close to Singapore. Besides the sun and sand, certain foods left a memory on my palatte.

Let me leave you with an image of Sate Ayam. Be back for more food adventure.

Yet another filler post!

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:54:00 +0000

Straight from the tree.. couldn't get any fresher than this!

Sorry for the absence. Been terribly busy catching up on family time. I'm back to work at the Japanese confectionery (my dear mates, you should know where by now!). And it'll be quite an experience as my boss exposes me to Japanese style confectionery.

For those who have not experience the Japanese standard of customer service and their keen interest in producing only quality products, let me introduce them to you in my post. I would not say customer service is deeply rooted in their culture but rather they are able to put themselves in their customers' shoes in ever aspect of their businesses. From the simple greetings to packinging of their products, they will never miss out any single detail that "makes their customers' lives better" when using the product!

So with this extreme attention to detail, Japanese chefs and cuisine are highly commended worldwide. No matter what they cook or bake, one is sure that it is definitely tasty and pleasing to the eye. Therefore, Japanese confectionery is well known for being real pretty to look at. Japanese cakes are usually light (emphasizing on sponges and especially Chiffon cakes) and simply filled with the freshest ingredients such as fresh berries and fresh cream.

Ur Resident Chef will be back to introduce more flavours and cuisines of Asia. Be back and stay tuned!

Oh my I forgot my camera cable!

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:47:00 +0000

Oh my dear dear readers and friends, I'm here in Singapore. For those who visit this blog for my latest adventures in Singapore but were disappointed to find a blog left with no new posts for a week, I sincerely apologise. I am back to blog but I do not have any pictures to accompany my posts as I have left my camera cable in Croatia?! Oh my... but don't worry. The new camera will be joining me in a few months' time. So I hope you don't mind the terribly boring old pictures on this blog and the lack of new ones.

And now we are back to regular blogging from Singapore.

Inspired Confection: The last cake in Croatia

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:43:00 +0000

This is probably the last cake I'll bake here. So I decided to stick to Cheesecake which is our favourite. And since berries are still in season, we happily bought a punnet of fresh raspberries from the supermarket for this cake.

Don't be mistaken. The red coating on top is no glaze made from Gelatine. It is simply fresh raspberries cooked with sugar till thickened and poured on top of the baked cheesecake. It has the same tangy flavour without the jelly texture associated with gelatine-based glaze. And yes, the quickest solution for the lazy patissiere!

To be honest, I'm still having problems with the crust. One that is firm enough but doesn't set rock solid when chilled. Perhaps I'll stick to graham crackers in my next recipe.

And that marks the end of my post for this part of my journey. Ur Resident Chef will be blogging from sunny and hot Singapore next week! Ciao!

Mum!!! My Oats are GREEN!!!

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:48:00 +0000

Have your cooked oats ever look like a science experiment or straight out from a witch's brew? The researchers at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service’s Wheat Quality Laboratory might have the answers.

Apparently, cooking oats and oat products in Hard Water will produce finished products with a greenish hue due to the presence of Baking Soda used as leavening agent in baked products.

So mummies, stop worrying now!

Panko, Miso and Tonkatsu

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:58:00 +0000

Do you know what the 3 food items in the title mean? For those familiar with Japanese food, you should know at least 2 out of the 3. I'm not exactly good with preparing Japanese food but I do love the occasional Ramen or Miso soup.

Let's start with the easiest.. Miso. It is simply fermented soya beans. You will usually find packs of earth-coloured Miso paste in Japanese food supplies shop. When I was living in London, I discovered that one small pack of Miso goes a long way. It is relatively inexpensive as compared to most Japanese foodstuff. Miso has a distinct salty flavour with none of its bean aftertaste (but it does help you produce lots of wind). Miso is used widely in Japanese cuisine for flavouring dishes and soups. According to wikipedia, Miso can be made from more than just soybeans... barley and rice are the among the list of candidates. You can read the article to know more about it. For me, Miso Soup is typically served with small cubes of soya beancurd and wakame seaweed. Thanks to modern technology, I got mine in small instant packs including dehydrated spring onions!

Panko and Tonkatsu are deeply related to each other. One cannot make a decent Tonkatsu without Panko. So what is Panko? It is the Japanese word for breadcrumbs. From the picture, I guess you couldn't tell that it is breadcrumbs. Well, these breadcrumbs can only be made in a factory as the breads are not baked in a conventional oven but what is termed "Electromagnetic Baking". There is no brown crusts. So the resulting crumbs are airier, lighter and the fried products are crispier! If you take a close look at a pack of Panko, you will realise why! Each individual crumb is not short and round like a typical breadcrumb but it resembles an elongated razor. This creates a gap that will otherwise make a fried food oily and soggy!

Now to Tonkatsu. I did my homework and found that "Ton" is Japanese for Pork meat. So if you see it as part of a word on a Japanese food menu, you can safely assume it is pork! "Katsu" is simply a Japanese word for "Cutlet". So Tonkatsu is simply Pork Cutlet! I always love a good Tonkatsu in a Japanese restaurant because of its extremely light texture. I tried to replicate mine.. but I made a mistake of pan frying the cutlet.. So my poor Panko crumbs were flattened!!! Well.. it is much crispier than the usual brown breadcrumbs though! For those who haven't tried using Panko, save your money for purchasing breadcrumbs and invest in a pack of Panko please!

The wonder Green Fingers and Courgette!

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:27:00 +0000

Look at this pale looking vegetable in the picture above? Well, it is a Courgette or Tikvice as we call in Croatian. Don't be afraid, it's not mutated. From the few wintry experience in Croatia, I've learnt that Courgettes do look pale in the colder months (instead of the familiar dark green) due to lack of sunlight. The other green vegetable by its side is the regular cucumber. What is most interesting about the Courgette? It is double or triple the size of usual Courgettes. Wonder why? Because these veggies are from Baka Karner's garden in Moravice.

The Karner family has its roots in Moravice. A real nice village in the mountains. Picture this, the railway tracks running through this quaint little village. The mountains in the background. Fresh natural spring water is available just right behind the house. It sure look like a page off a storybook!

Baka Karner has a small house and small patches of garden where she grows her veggies and flowers. How lovely it is to spend an afternoon with Baka and Deda who are both 88 years old. I wonder if the secret to their longevity is this place. The fresh air and the clean water, nothing could be better if one spends a few months in this place each year!

So now, Baka Karner has really green fingers too. Her plants are all real huge and delicious. I love to cook minestrone with them! Organic? I say the only label for the vegetables is LOVE!

Now I hope to spend my vacation here again real soon... some little village in the mountains of Gorski Kotar region called Moravice.

Ur Resident Chef and her plants

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:03:00 +0000

Probably the last post of this series as I will leave most of my plants here and those that are travelling with me are at a risk of being.. dead!

But I was really happy to see my first Chilli! Yeah! I'm not kidding you. One of the 20 seeds that I've tried to grow have bloomed into a big plant (relatively speaking) and gave me my first Chilli grown in Croatia! I wonder how many has seen a real Chilli here..? Anyway, I don't know how long this little darling will take to ripen (I have some 3 weeks to wait for my first fruit!) but the plant mom in me is real proud!

For those attempting to grow Chillies from seeds, do not be afraid to try! But one word of advice (after countless attempts of trying to grow Chilli plants), start the process as early as Spring so the plant will have ample time to grow in Summer before the cold hits it!

I won't know when the next post will be but I'll be glad to share my plant mom experience if you are interested to read. So see you back here again. Ciao!

Cheesecake madness

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:51:00 +0000

My dear readers, do you recall how much I LOVE cheesecake? Oh then you have to read this earlier post of mine and my search for the ultimate cheesecake.

So for my own birthday and my favourite type of cheesecake being unavailable in Croatia, I had to make my own birthday cake. And of course, it's a CHOCOLATE cheesecake!!!

I would love to share the recipe but I seem to have forgotten the exact quantities that went into the cake. But I shall share my ingredients which I found to make a successful rich cheesecake each time!

Chocolate Cheesecake:
Cream Cheese
Yoghurt or Soured Cream (flavours do not differ much)
Sugar
Eggs
Chocolate, melted (Cocoa Powder is too dry)
Whipping Cream (oh yeah!)
Butter

And for the base, I use a Crumble recipe which is terribly easy to remember.

2 parts Flour : 1 part Butter : 1 part Sugar

I know this makes an awesome Crumble but trust me, once you pack the crumble tightly into the base of your cake tin, you'll get a nice crumbly base that isn't too hard after you bake it! Note: The Sugar can be adjusted to your personal taste.

To complete the Cheesecake, I have topped it off with Chocolate Ganache for the nice smooth chocolatey texture.

Ganache recipe can differ depending on what you want to make. For a nice rich and thick Ganache use equal parts of Chocolate to Cream (Double/Whipping).

Feel like trying out this recipe and have problems? Leave me a comment and I'll give you a hand with the ingredients!

Moules à la marinière

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:59:00 +0000

My birthday feast would not be complete without seafood. So what can be affordable and available in Croatia this time of the year but Mussels. Dagnja as it is called in Croatian was going at 20 kn a kilo. Mr M promised to buy that as my birthday treat and I got a whooping TWO kilos of Mussels!

Let's talk a little about Mussels and how my love for it started. The very first time I tried them was during my trip to Le Mont St Michel. For a mere 11 euros, we got a big bowl of Moules Marinière (about some 40 of them in there!) and I gobbled all of them up including the soup was wiped dry with some good french baguette. That was my most unforgettable experience with Mussels. And the taste lingered. I longed to eat them again but sadly the bi-valve molluscs aren't as widely available in many countries as I hoped. I wondered why until I read up the article on Wikipedia. What we could get in Singapore are mostly frozen and imported from New Zealand or China. Most people would settle for the large NZ green-lipped Mussels but I craved for the smaller Blue Mussels with the lingering smell of sea.

Luckily for me, Croatia is one of the few places where fresh Mussels are caught daily and sold on the market. And yes, they are my favourite Blue Mussels! Yummy!!! The good ol' days are back. These beauties reminded me of those days working at Le Pont de la Tour restaurant when kilos of molluscs were cooked in wine and the sweetness of fresh mussels were captured in this simple method of cooking!!

For those who longed to make Moules à la marinière at home, let's start with the cleaning. Take a look each mussel and you'll see a beard sticking out from the shell. This is called the Byssal Thread. Carefully remove it using a paring knife or simply give it a tug. This beard is attached to the little softie inside and it seems this beard has a sentimental value. So it might take a little more effort for the mussel to let go. Rinse the shells under water or your soup will be filled with sand! Do take note that the mussels do not enjoy being washed or cleansed unless you wish to consume it within an hour. Else transfer the mussels into a container (without a lid) cover it with a moist cloth or pieces of wet newspapers and store them in the coldest part of your fridge (not freezer!!!).

Dead or alive? Before cooking, any cracked or opened (that doesn't shut if you disturb the flesh) molluscs should be discarded. Mussels open up when they are cooked. Sometimes you might see a few reluctant ones, don't worry they are not stale.

Moules à la marinière.. Mussels cooked in White Wine. This is a french favourite and you can find it in Belgian Brasseries or French restaurants. Served with Pommes Frites (french fries) and bread. (And complete with Belgian beer.) For the curious ones, Marinière refers to Mariner or Sailor. Here's the recipe link. I have omitted Garlic from my dish and added a handful of chopped carrots (fennel will be a nice addition too). I'm not a fan of cream as well so I'd stick to clear mussel soup.

That's it for today. Hope you try this dish out. Don't forget Mussels are an excellent source of Selenium and Vitamin B12 while being very low in fats. What a lovely treat for a hot summer's day!

Ur Resident Chef turns 32!

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:15:00 +0000

Woo hooo.. A woman shall not reveal her true age. But I'm a chef who cares! Ha!

At this moment of writing (typing..), my chocolate cheesecake is sitting in the oven. Mmm.. Love the melt-in-your-mouth texture. Can't wait. When the cake is out of the oven, I shall top it off with a thick Chocolate Ganache! Yum! Just what I love... Chocolatey and smooth!

Another year older, I hope for more good cakes to come. More inspirations for cakes and dishes! And hope to see my business venture starting real soon! Happy Birthday to me! :D

Singapore Laksa: The dish that reflects our traditions

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:20:00 +0000

For readers of non Southeast Asian origins, you might have not heard of this dish. This is one of Singaporean food that we, overseas Singaporeans will miss the most. I never reflected on the significance of this dish as it is easily available in every hawker centres in Singapore. From first look, this dish does not leave any impression. Even sites mentioning Laksa can only translate it to be a type of Curry Noodles.

Luckily for me, the major craving for Laksa was satisfied by a box of Laksa mix that my family sent in a parcel few months ago. I would say those ready mixes really "saved the lives" of many overseas Singaporeans! There were 3 packs in the box: One pack contains the dehydrated coconut milk, one contains the spicy shrimp paste and the last a pack of sambal chilli (for those who crave for EXTRA chilli!). It should have a small pack of Laksa leaves but I couldn't find it so I replaced it with chopped Basil leaves instead. Of course, I couldn't find the vermicelli that made up the famous Singapore Laksa over here. So I used some sort of pasta. Lacking prawns (and cockles which I do not missed) and fishcakes as the main ingredients for my Laksa did not deter me to top the dish with shredded chicken meat. Luckily the pack of fried beancurd that I bought from London came in handy! The spicy treat really made my day!!!

Back to more Laksa talk, I went on a little google search for the origin of Laksa. But even an article from Singapore Infopedia cited more than one possible source for this famous Southeast Asian dishes. Laksa actually means "10 Thousand" in Indonesian which possibly referred to the white and fine vermicelli used for this dish. The name of an older Sanskrit origin. However, other sources indicate that the dish is a perfect marriage of Chinese and Malay cultures which gave birth to Peranakan culture in Southeast Asia.

You can read more of this article from National Library Board through this link.

If you are a Laksa fan, you will probably know that almost Southeast Asian country has its own Laksa. There is no need for me to elaborate on this subject as you can read it on Wikipedia.

With a dish so simple, yet so satisfying and culturally significant, Singapore Laksa is well deserved to have its own fan following!

Tis the season to have BBQ!

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:56:00 +0000

Yay! It's officially summer. Why? I thought Summer begun in June? Nope, the weather here was pretty dreadful with occasional showers and grey clouds that refused to go away till last weekend. So we were all pretty happy to plan a gathering. And of course it involved BBQ!

For those that are interested, BBQ is known as Roštilj here. And supermarkets have no lack of packaged marinated meat. To feed the 17 hungry mouths, kilos of meat were purchased. It included pork, chicken and čevapčići. There were also loaves of breads to fill up whatever empty spaces left in our bellies. Not forgetting the bottles of drinks to go along with the food. Yum!

Do you like BBQ and grilled food? Here is a nice site for BBQ basics from BBC Food if you want to get started.

As mentioned in the site, do remember to cook your food thoroughly (especially sausages). Avoid cross contamination of your raw and cooked meats. Have a nice summer and enjoy the BBQ!

Is it tough being a CHEF?

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:15:00 +0000

Thanks to FKW for bringing up a good topic. I believe there are many of you who toyed with the idea of working as a chef in some moment in your life... or at least those of you who love food! So what really help you to make up your mind? You childhood ambition? Your mum's terrific culinary skills (or the lack of it) inspired you? Your passion for cooking? Or you want to earn big bucks.. as seen on TV (no pun intended)?

In my case, it was none of the above but a strange twist of fate. For those who do not know (or are curious to know), here's my story before I carry on to answer FKW's query. As some of you my dear readers might know, I went to London to learn baking. Yes, I actually went to a Baking School. Not a culinary school. At the end of my two year course, me along with 4 other chosen schoolmates attended a summer school which showed us the different possibilities of F&B industry. We were brought to hotels, restaurants and kitchens. And we even got a taste of how it was like to run our own little "hotel". I being the over-enthusiastic kind made a huge impression on one of the course co-ordinators. And she found me a kitchen assistant position at Le Pont de La Tour restaurant (formerly under Conran restaurants)! Well, I cherished every single learning experience in the kitchen. It was wonderful and fulfilling but I eventually found it was not my calling. A faint voice in my head (no worries, I'm no Schizophrenic! Or maybe...I'm not sure) kept reminding me about Patissierie. And so, I am still a Pastry Chef!

So for all who are still undecided or just chanced upon the notion of "Chef" for the first time, let me help you along with a few questions:

How much do you LOVE cooking?
Can you endure hours standing on your feet? I mean at least 8 hours a day (or more depending on the establishment).
Do you live on adrenalin? (It keeps you going!)
Can you carry on working even if most of your fingers have cuts, sores, blisters, etc?
Can you work well in a team?
Can you stand the verbal abuses from waiters, head chefs, sous chefs (and basically everyone)?
Can you bear the thought of being a Commis or Apprentice (that means the lowest rank in the kitchen) for the next few years (maximum 5, depending on the company)?

Not to mention, you must have loud voice that commands respect.

If you answered positively to most of the questions above, you are on your way. Welcome to chefhood. Good luck!

Yoohoo... Where are you?

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:44:00 +0000

This post is inspired by Lady Iron Chef! Calling all my old and new readers.. and of course whoever to chance upon this blog. I haven't seen you around? Where have all the comments gone? Please do not be shy and leave me a comment to encourage me to bring more informative posts to you. I love to see you here again. Introduce yourself! Come on.. ;)

Here's my little profile:
I am Sherene. Or most call me SheR. I am currently living in Croatia, Rijeka (the third largest city in Croatia). London was once my home for some 3 odd years. And it was the town that gave me my dreams, inspirations, hope and love. I was a baker, chef and patissiere. Now, I'm taking another break before heading home to Singapore for a Pastry position. Over the past 3 years (coming September), this blog has followed my ups and downs in Chef-hood. If you asked me what job would I love to do for the rest of my life, I would say Pastry. The plating of beautiful desserts with endless possibilities of creating new combinations and textures is the most rewarding!!

An Inspired Creation: Pineapple Jam Cake

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:31:00 +0000

I found the pack of frozen canned pineapple cubes and I thought of cooking them into a jam as usual. When the jam was finally cooked, I just couldn't be bothered to get on with making the pastry dough for Pineapple Tarts. Adapting my Pound Cake recipe as usual (which works wonders for any fruit-based cake) without any other flavouring besides a few dashes of vanilla essence.

After that, I wondered if I should make it into a tin cake or muffins? I chose the latter since it was easier. Making Muffins using cake batter just rounds up the flavour of the cake in a cup. I spooned half the batter into each cup, then a dollop of Pineapple Jam (since I did not want burnt Jam on top of the cake) and topped it off with more batter.

When the muffins were done, I simply drizzled the Pineapple Syrup reduction (remember the syrup from the canned Pineapples can be reduced and then frozen for future uses!) on each cake to make a sticky gooey and flavourful Pineapple Jam Cake.

Result: I reduced the quantity of sugar in the actual cake batter because I knew the final product will be rather sweet and I was right. Served hot or cold, this cake is spells P-I-N-E-A-P-P-L-E! Very light texture and yet the hidden jam lent enough flavour to the overall cake. I would love to add a little lemon next time perhaps as stock syrup to brush the tops of each muffin.

That's all. Hope you'll try it out too!

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice is not from Thailand?

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:17:00 +0000

According to reliable sources (an overseas Singaporean who lives in Bangkok, Thailand), the famous Pineapple Fried Rice which is sometimes called Thai Pineapple Rice does not originate from Thailand. It seems to be a Singaporean invention. Oh well, I'm not complaining since I LOVE this dish.

Want to know what's in it? The usual cooked Jasmine Rice and then stir fried in a spicy and sourish Pineapple spice mix, together with pieces of chicken and of course chunks of Pineapple! To garnish this dish, chopped chillies, fried shallots and sometimes pork floss (very Singaporean invention) are added. Can you imagine a wonderful mixture of sour, spices and sweetness?

I'm going to cook mine today less the Pineapple bits since I used them for my Pineapple Cake few days ago. So I'll be back to post some pictures of the Cake and the Rice (if there's any left!). Stay tuned!

Premium Bananas!

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:44:00 +0000

Looking for bananas in the box? Wait, that's a cat! A fat one indeed.

Just another filler post, so not in the mood to blog. Yeah.. blame the weather.

Food Fun: Mini Olive Tree

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:30:00 +0000

We were at a craft fair in Istria yesterday and Mr M captured one of the art pieces. The little olive tree was nestled in a pot made using typical Istrian method (achieved by stacking stones to make a structure).

It looked really cute but I think the tree will grow out of the pot pretty soon (it's a tree,yeah!).

Speaking of Olive trees, it's a pretty common sight to see rows of them in this part of Croatia. Croatia has a long history of cultivating Olive trees for the fruits and the oil. A dear friend of mine living on island Hvar does her own every year. Not enough to sell commercially so I didn't really get a chance to buy it from her!

I'm not really an expert into Olive Oils but I have discovered the flavour differences in the Italian Olive Oils that my mum used to buy in Singapore and the Croatian varieties which are not available elsewhere in the world. How different? The Italian oil tends to remind me of oil (yeah stupid description but let me finish). Having a slight lemony aroma (for the lack of a better word) when it is heated. On the other hand, Croatian oil is very olivey (Ha.. I invented the word). It reminds me very much of the Olive fruits that the oil is extracted from. It is great for drizzling on salads such as Salad Nicoise (as it contains Olives) without having to add the fruits. Oh. I'm not really a fan of the Olive fruit. So I appreciate the absence of it in my food.

One short note to end this post, in MG, Olive Oil goes well with Chocolate and Sea Salt.

Dining at Chinese Restaurant

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:15:00 +0000

What comes to your mind when you think about Chinese Restaurants? The strange language that you've never heard that rings in your ears as the waitress shouts out the orders to the cook? The porcelain white crockery? Or the dishes are overwhelming big?

Well... maybe you haven't noticed (or you are more observant than the rest), Chinese dishes are meant for sharing. In Chinese culture, the concept of sitting at a round table and enjoying a meal together with family or friends is the essence of Chinese dining, that is, communal dining. Dishes are not separated into individual portions. Usually the plates and bowls are too small so you can't stack a heap of food right for yourself. It is not polite to be do so as you'll be deemed a glutton. Therefore, if you wish to have a portion of that delicious Kung-Po style fried Frog Legs. Arm yourself with your chopsticks as a tool, pick as much as possible (without dropping it all over the table) and deposit them safely on your plate. It is also not polite to be picking the dish for the extra big piece of roast pork. It seems like you are scavenging for food and really unsightly. So you are given one chance to get your food. Finish that portion before you resume for seconds or thirds.

Did you know that Soups can go with your meal unlike in Western dining where the Soup always come first? Unless the soup is a slightly more expensive variety like the notorious Sharks' Fins. Expensive soups are meant to be served first after the cold starter so they don't get mulled by the flavours of other dishes that follow. Eight courses in a single meal is pretty common in a banquet. Rice or Noodle dishes are always last on the list.

Have you learnt something about dining in a Chinese restaurant today?

Saturdays off?

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:56:00 +0000

DREAM ON unless your Head Chef is feeling extremely generous. No chefs (or cooks) get Saturdays off. Saturday is the "holy" day in F&B business. For you ordinary folks out there, let me remind you that we chefs work on days that you go out and enjoy yourself!

So have you ever wondered if Chefs have any social life? Answer: Yes. We could be the most sociable persons around. We have high EQ as we have to learn how to work with more than a dozen people on a more-than-eight-hour working day without someone ending up as the plat du jour. Still in doubt about our social adaptability after watching your latest episode of Hell's Kitchen, let me assure you that we can't serve human meat due to health and safety laws.

How do we cope without having Saturdays off? First option (I believe most of the "normal" chefs adopt this): Pray that Head Chef puts us on a early shift or Sunday late shift else skip the boozing session till winter time (when there's less customers). Second option (for the young and party animal chefs): Head tothe nearest party destination as soon as we get news of it regardless of how late the shift ends. This means, the chef is terribly knackered the next day and that explains the burnt or bland dishes on Sundays... just kidding. Last option? Get married!

Oh.. chef work is so much fun I tell ya!

E-numbers? Should I love them or hate them?

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:43:00 +0000

It's official, Ur Resident Chef is madly in love Molecular Gastronomy (MG). It is Nouvelle Cuisine taken to the next step. For the past few days, equipped with only my GCSE 'O' Level standard of Chemistry, I was devouring pages after pages of MG blogs and recipes. I know this idea is not new to the culinary world but the concept has triggered off the thought machine in my brain! New ideas begun welling up. I spent days and nights working out those recipes in my head.

Of course, with all these new and sophisticated Food Science, those E-numbers began to creep in. Stabilizers, Gelling Agents and Emulsifiers that I've been trying so hard to keep off my food have proved to be the new masters of rein in the MG field.

And this sparked an ethical debate in my head, should I ignore the entire E-list altogether or embraced those that are not that evil at all? According to a couple of MG scientists, Food is all about Chemistry. All those E-numbers that they adopt in MG are derived from nature. So there is no need to fear them.

Oh my I lost. Love them or hate them?

Soya Sauce and everything that goes with it

sarinxr@gmail.com (SheR.) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:54:00 +0000

I'm not sure what the actual english name of this dish should be... Soya Sauce braised chicken? Five-spice (coincidentally there were FIVE members of Spice Girls group, gosh they should make a Chinese band equivalent of that group..Star Anise, Szechuan Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves and Cumin!) Chicken? The chinese name for this dish simply refer to Soya Sauce directly or the texture of the chicken.. Smooth. Until there's a better name, let's just call it Soya Sauce chicken.

For those who chanced upon this blog first time, I have to confess my love for Soya Sauce first time on this blog. There is such a variety of Soya Sauces with varying consistencies that I can always find one to suit any dish.

My Mum is the greatest influence on my love for food. She does a wicked Soya Sauce Duck that no one can compare to. To date, I am still learning from her how to make the perfect Soya Sauce which plays the most vital role in the dish. Besides knowing the exact amount of Five-spice powder to add, caramelizing the sugar in the sauce is an important procedure too. For chicken dishes, Rose wine maybe added and the cooking time is much shorter than for other meat such as Duck. To me, this dish is more of a stew where long period of slow cooking is required for the flavours to penetrate the meat and cooking the meat till it's tender.

Of course besides meat dishes, one can apply the same sauce to Vegetables and Hard boiled Eggs too. As featured in the picture (which doesn't look that appetising), Chinese Radish or Daikon is the most perfect vegetable for cooking with Soya Sauce. The slow cooking process enables the sauce to cook the radish till it is tender and juicy!

For some of you, the dish looks like a bowl of black liquid and perhaps it doesn't whet your appetite at all. But once you tried the sauce (or gravy.. I'm not sure which is correct in this case).. the wonderful mix of spices paired with meat juices and leaving you with a palate of sweet and salty. You will understand why I will kill to perfect this dish.

I'm afraid I do not have the recipe for this dish as I usually adjust each ingredient to suit my taste depending on the quantity of meat or vegetable. But if you have a question about how to make the sauce, do leave me a comment and I will try my best to help!