Taipei - 1st week

1 week has since passed for my Taipei trip. Not sure how many pounds I have piled on and the amount of saturated fat that I have consumed...*sob*...but, I am not regretting it... :D

The chocolates and cookies served to me when I checked in at Shangrila is already a sign...haha. The cookies and chocolates are sure good... ;)

On the 1st night, we visited Ximending and had the famous mee suah. Three of us bought a small bowl and stood among the locals, happily slurping down the mee suah, even though the tougue is scalded by the hot soup. Lovely, marvellous... Move away, SG's version of that ShiLin oyster mee suah. Although this 'Ah Zong Mian Xian' does not have oysters, it has bits of the pig intestines, paired with a sprig of basil leaves, black vinegar and chopped garlic. There's no problem in wolfing down a 2nd bowl!

The 1st work week is pretty uneventful...until Friday! All of us can't wait to get off work. Threw our bags in the hotel room and zoomed off to 'Wu Fen Pu', a fashion area. Nothing much...for us actually, haha...we are getting old. Also went to the nearby nght market. Waited long time to visit the night market. My tummy is ready for anything and everything! Saw a queue in front of this stall, so... typical Singaporeans... we join in the Q! Hee, it was a treasure found. Piping hot bun, baked in a hot stone stove... the juices literally flowed from the buns... yummy...

This is just the beginning.. will be posting up more pics which I took over the weekend... :)

Chocolate cake in a bowl

CHOCOLATE! Really thankful to the person who invented chocolate for cooking...One of the best creations on earth.
Haven't been baking for a while and I really can't stand it. But I was so busy that I just don't have that 2 hrs to spend in the kitchen!
So when I saw th recipe on Su's website, I was really eager to have a go at it. What's more, W is in town to share my guilt. haahaa...:P
Followed the recipe, a bit apprehensive at first, cos I nvr baked using a microwave oven. Used Carefour's 64% baking chocolate for this recipe. Other modifications include using wholemeal flour, raw sugar, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence.
Result? OK... I know it looks damn gross in the pic...but it really really REALLYy taste damn good! Even W applaud it. Only thing is that the cake can't hold its shape, thus the mess on the plate.
This is a recipe that can be easily doubled and baked in individual ramekins for small dinners. Don't omit the fruits and whipping cream to serve. They are very impt and accompany the chocolate cake/pudding very well.
As I am writing, W is eating... a peep into the bowl shows only 1/4 left...haha...maybe I should do another one before i leave for TW tomorrow, keep him company for 2 days maybe...if it can last that long... ;)

Friday Dinner

Fridays are special for me. Maybe it's becos in my first job as an auditor in the Big4, we will slog through the week and chill out on Friday. So Fridays are just different.
Now, Fridays are STILL different, haha... esp when W is around. We usually eat out on Friday, but with a fish in my freezer and me leaving on Sunday, means that I have to cook on Friday... Not very exciting, but well... for a change.
Something simple, I don't want to use too much crockery...
Decided to do a fried beehoon and baked the black promfret... It's easy to do, and can be done even when you have very little ingredients in your fridge...:)

Baked Promfret( or any whole fish or fish fillet)
Marinate:
1 tbsp mirin or sherry
1 tbsp black soya sauce
Dash of black pepper
1 tsp of oregano
1 tsp of paprika
Marinate for a good 15mins and place the fish on a double layer of aluminum foil. Wrap the fish and back in a preheated oven of 190 degrees. My oven's temp is abit low, so depending on your oven, you can use 180. Bake for 20 mins.
When 15 mins has passed, take the fish out, open up the foil, and put a dash of pepper/salt mixture on both sides of the fish and let it continue for the rest of the baking period.
Because it's baked, so all the juices of the fish are retained. Pair it with some good chili sauce and its really bliss.

Fried Beehoon
No recipe here. You can add what you like and what you have on hand. Some points to note, after my fry beehoon experience:
- Soak the beehoon overnight, or at least 2 hrs before frying with hot water. This makes frying easier.
- Fry the ingredients first. Dried mushrooms, Black fungus, dried shrimps, whatever. Fry it with some olive oil till its fragrant. If you are adding veg like peas or seafood, only add it just before you add the beehoon. And fry it only for a min of so, cos it will still continue to cook when you are frying the beehoon.
- Prepare a mixture of water and dark soy sauce, about 100-150ml beforehand. Abit of estimation..hee. As you fry the beehoon, it will be very dry and the mixture need to be added slowly and stirred thoroughly.
- A long pair of chopsticks will also help in the process.
- Remember, don't add too much soya sauce in the beginning. If the beehoon is bland, more salt/ soy sauce can be added. If it's too salty... I have no idea what you can add... *wink* Happy cooking!

Lunch at Provence

Chocolate Wassants

Has been a while since I last blogged...sigh... staying in SG does not mean alot of free time. Everynight was packed with stuff, either work, yoga lessons, thai lesson or volunteer work. On Friday night, I just wanted to sit down and stone in front of the TV, not really concerned about what was showing and the type of junk I am shoving down my throat. These are just some days that you feel like self destruction...hahaha

Well, I do have days when I am more obedient though. Last Saturday, finally went to my yoga class with W in Holland Village. Lunch was a question mark, both of us not knowing what to eat.
Earlier, I have read about this Japanese bakery called Provence which sells lovely bread...hee, I am a bread person through and through, no matter how hard I control it, I still fall for it alot alot of times!
Finally found it! Its just under the food court at Lorong Liput, diagonally opposite the hawker centre. When we stepped in, it was...'Wow'... the bread and the queue forming behind the cashiers...I had a happy time selecting the breads and the sandwiches...:)

W wolfed down teh chicken teriyaki sandwich before I can take a pic of it. The wassants are lovely!!! A pack of 10 or 12, I can't remember cost me $5... not cheap but worth it. It is only out at the shelves everyday at 12noon and the regulars make a beeline for it. For me, I literally take whatever people are taking...haha.

Also bought the Brazilian cheese bun, French sesame cream cheese, and some others...lovely... I can drool just thinking back the fragrance of the breads and cakes...Doing all that yoga seems to defict the purpose...but who cares! :D