Dinner for family 27th May

Cooking dinner for my family is a big chore bcos my sis doesn't eat pork, my parents, BIL & future SIL don't eat beef, & my bro doesn't like fish. The best thing to cook is chicken but I wanna do something else this time. So I decided to cook pork for my bro & BIL, fish for my mum & future SIL & beef for myself & sis :p Working in kitchen is definitely not easy...

some pix...

some gifts for my frens in Changzhou

Using my idling time I've made some gifts for my friends in CZ, who are also leaving quite soon. Table soccer is for Sang & Phuong, poker table is for Andri. I miss those moments I had with this group of friends, we had so much fun together. So even I'm back to SG, I wanna make something memorable for them. It has been donkey years since I last made something for a gift. I hope I will have time & creativity to do more.....

Chocolate Orange Sticks

These chocolate sticks are quite easy to make and they are quite tasty, for those who like citrus.

2 large thick-skinned oranges
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
125g dark chocolate

1. cut orange peels into 1/4" strips
2. drop strips into boiling water, return to boil & strain, repeat 2 more times
3. combine water & sugar in pan & stir over heat until sugar is dissolved. do not boil
4. add strips, bring to boil, reduce heat & simmer uncovered until strips become tranlucent. stir from time to time while simmering
5. remove strips & leave on wire rack to dry overnight
6. melt chocolate over simmering water, add strips to coat evenly
7. shake off excess chocolate & place each piece on alu foil, stand at room temp until chocolate cools off. put strips into the fridge to set.

Breakfast today

Simple but healthy & nice :)

Crème brûlée

This creme brulee is my 2nd attempt. The 1st one didn't succeed bcos I just follow the oven timing from the recipe but it wasn't set at all. I use a diffferent recipe for the 2nd attempt. This time I checked, not just following the timing blindly. To me it turned out so-so, I think it's too creamy. I'll have to explore again to make a less creamy yet delicious one, cos my mum was complaining it's not suitable for folks with high blood. My mum even requested to try the 'original' one from restaurants so that she can compare. No wonder I wanna be a chef......

Dinner Party 10th May

I invited 3 May babies to my house for dinner. Along w my mum, my sis, bro-in-law, my sis's friend & me, it's a total of 8 pax. It was the 1st time I'm preparing a full course meal for more than 5 pax. I was quite stressed abt it & it was tiring....but I enjoyed it cos while doing all these, I learned something in the processes. I'm trying to keep track of the cost of the food too so as to aid me in menu planning.

Entrée
1)Tomato basil soup - tomatoes($3), basil($1), vege stock($4)
2)Bruschetta - baguette($1.3), pest0($3), toppings($0.6)
Main
1)Baked chicken w terragon - chicken($12), potatoes($1), tomatoes&onions($0.5), terragon&oregano($4), misc seasoning($1)
2)Salad (no pix) - avocados($3), olives($0.3), yellow plum tomatoes($4.10), honey tomatoes($2.5), walnuts($2.5), basil($2), mozzarella($1.5), dressing($0.3)
Dessert
1)Lemon sorbet - lemons($3.6), sugar($0.5)
Others
Pita bread ($4), Lychee martini ($9)

My impromptu dinner - Fried udon w basil shrimps

Wasn't planning to have dinner at home tonight but was so tired walking in the street 'measuring the road' so I came back home. My mum's fridge is always stocked with meat, fish, shrimp, etc..(yah I know it's not so fresh) so it's convenient, esp when I'm famished :)

Fried Udon

1 pkt of udon

1/4 red pepper

1/4 green pepper

1 tsp pesto

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp stock

salt & pepper to taste

Heat garlic w oil in pan, add peppers & stir fry for abt 1min, add udon & fry for 1min, add stock and simmer until liquid dries up. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Basil Shrimps

Shrimps

olive oil

salt & pepper

white wine

basil leaves

Season shrimps w salt & pepper. Heat oil in pan, add shrimps & basil leaves. Add white wine shortly after. Cook shrimps until it's just done.

Donuts with choco almond & lemon icing toppings

1st time my mum & I try making donuts. We used the pre-mix flour so it wasn't difficult. The shape is a little bit tough to control tho, the sizes are irregular, both of us were like chicken hands duck feet, haha.... but it'll be better I believe, when we try again :)

Stuffed chicken maryland

This is the 1st oven baked food I've ever tried... turned out quite alright :)

Welcome to my foodie blog

This is a blog which I've been wanting to create, to record the food that I've cooked and the process of my 27 mths long culinary course. hmmm.... also bits & pieces in life...