Announcement Archives -

New mixed wine lots

Regular readers will know that many months ago I decided to work with one of Singapore’s more interesting wine distributors to package some very unique mixed lots, available exclusively through this site. I’m very pleased that the cases sold really well – so well in fact that Estima, the distributor, has actually sold out of many of the wines in the two cases we put together.

After several rounds of tasting (which is always a blast), we’ve come up with two new lots for you all. This time, we’ve decided to reduce the number of bottles. Each lot has just six bottles. What’s really cool is that almost all of the below wines come from small, cult producers. You won’t see most of these wines on restaurant wine lists. Mostly because they are incredibly hard to come by.

The Starter Kit, priced at S$306 nett, has one white, one sticky and four reds. The white is one of my current favourite wines. In fact, I like it so much that after tasting it, I ended up buying 3 cases of it. The 2002 Coteaux du Loir Rouge Gorge, Domaine de Belliviere, is also really interesting. It has a distinct and lovely taste with a nice, long finish.

These are the wines:
2005 La Lune, Mark Angeli (Loire Valley, France)
2004 Les Calcinaires, Domaine Gauby (Roussillon, France)
1998 Virgin Hills (Victoria, Australia)
2002 Coteaux du Loir Rouge Gorge, Domaine de Belliviere (Loire Valley, France)
2002 Bebianito, Prieure Saint Jean de Bebian (Languedoc, France)
2003 Muscat de Rivesaltes, Domaine des Chenes (Roussillon, France)

The Collector’s Kit, priced at S$830 nett, is made up of six exceptional wines. These, unlike the wines from the Starter Kit, probably should be laid down for a while and saved for your really special occasions. All of these wines are really unique, with distinct tastes and bouquets. The 1998, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Prieure Roch, is particularly special and rare. The vineyard is owned by the co-manager of Domaine Romanee Conti and these wines are hoarded by collectors.

Here are the wines:
2003, Vieilles Vignes Blanc, Domaine Gauby (Roussillon, France)
2001, Riesling Clos St Imer, Goldert Grand Cru, Domaine Burn (Alsace estate, Northern France)
2003, Saint Joseph Les Reflets, Francois Villard
2000, Chateau Beau Soleil, Pomerol
1998, Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Prieure Roch
2003, Saumur Champigny, Chateau Yvonne

If you want more details on each of the wines, please click over here.

To order either of the two special mixed lots, please email Eric at eric@estima.com.sg or call Eric at +65 6226 3766 on Monday to Friday, from 9.30am to 7.30pm. Your transaction will be handled by Estima directly. (Sorry, this is for Singapore-based readers only at this point.)

End of the week nibbles

New and noted (as reported by S)

For the longest time, cooking for a dinner party here in Singapore usually meant that one of us would have to spend at least half a day picking up the various ingredients we’d need. It often meant going to Tekka, then Culina and Swiss Butchery, as well as Market Place or Meidiya in addition to the occasional stop at Supernature or Hediard. We’re pleased to note that over the last couple of weeks, things have changed a little with the launch of Culina at Dempsey and Jones the Grocer Dempsey Hill.

We’ve been shopping at Culina since it opened its retail outlets years ago and it has always been one of the best places for hard-to-find gourmet items such as Echire butter, squid ink sachets (for harried folk who don’t harvest their own), ratte potatoes and Tetsuya’s truffle salsa. Apart from the wider selection (including more fresh produce, foie gras, caviar and oysters) and a prettier interior at Dempsey, the new Culina also boasts a chic café called Culina Enoteca. Earlier this week, we grabbed a quick bite there. CH had a steak sandwich and I had a salmon one. Both tasted light, fresh and lovingly put together. The café also serves 27 wines by-the-glass, all which can also be purchased at the store as well. This means that customers can actually taste a couple of wines (with a plate of charcuterie perhaps) in a relaxed, comfortable spot before buying a couple of bottles to add to their stash. We’re thrilled that this is now open.

The other opening that I have been eagerly awaiting is that of Aussie food emporium, Jones the Grocer. I fell in love with the Woollahra store years ago and couldn’t tear myself away from its cheese room! We had the opportunity to tour the premises before it opened officially this week and were inspired by the great range of products Jones stocks. Many of the items are from small batch, artisanal producers who often create products especially for Jones. It’s great to see retailers choosing to showcase producers that they truly believe in. We bought a bunch of ice creams as well as a butterscotch sauce to taste. I also stocked up on my favourite Persian fairy floss. Oh, and we tasted a pairing of blue cheese with truffle honey that was to-die-for. I can’t wait to stock up for our next dinner party! Jones also serves food throughout the day. The menu is small but pretty tasty. Be warned though. Even though it’s only been opened for just a couple of days, it is already packed. And since all the tables are communal, you may need to be a little assertive when asking someone who is hogging 4 or 5 chairs for just one friend and herself to be a little more thoughtful of the needs of other customers.

Culina at Dempsey
Block 8 Dempsey Road #01-13
Tel: 6474-7338

Jones the Grocer Dempsey Hill
Block 9 Dempsey Road #01-12
www.jonesthegrocer.com

Travel Much?

Regular readers know that because of my work, I travel a lot. I’m on the road an average of 10 days a month, bouncing around the region and occasionally further afield. Because I work for myself and also try to save my clients as much money as possible, I tend to fly in the back of the bus most of the time. Which, in my mind at least, pretty much qualifies me as someone who knows his way around booking an inexpensive flight.

I usually book flights one of a couple of ways, either via my preferred travel agency or via the Internet. The former is magically efficient and able to do meet almost any crazy request I throw at them, but they aren’t the greatest at sussing out dirt-cheap rates. Which inevitably means that for some trips, I’ll spend some time trawling various websites hunting for special deals, promotions and attractive prices. Sometimes, you can find these directly on an airline’s website. But pretty often, the best place to hunt for great rates is on ZUJI.

I’m not sure how many readers already use the site, but I just thought I’d let slip that they’re having a pretty nifty travel sale right now. Until 23 September, airlines are offering special fares via ZUJI, some as low as S$105; hotels are offering room nights as low as S$30; and there are a whole host of ridiculously well-priced packages to boot.

Plus, VISA Cardholders can get up to S$20 off all airline tickets, S$60 off all “Great Buy” hotel offers, and S$100 off any packages that you create yourself. In addition, a variety of airlines (Thai Airways, United Airlines, Northwest, Japan Airlines, Etihad Airways, Emirates and China Airlines) have all released some super-special fares in conjunction with the current NATAS fair.

There are limited booking periods to the fares, packages and hotels on promotion, so hurry up. I know that I’ve been having a blast the past couple of days combing through all of ZUJI‘s offers, trying to decide where in the world to take S on our next vacation. The only tough thing is actually choosing which trip to go on. There are some amazing packages to Japan. But I know S would also like to go back to Paris. On the other hand, I’ve been meaning to check out the Croatian coast… sigh… too many places to see, too little time.

Buy this magazine

A few months ago, a photographer-buddy of mine, whom I’d worked with years ago, emailed me to ask if I’d be interested in writing some stories on Singapore. Food and Travel, one of the UK’s best gourmet magazines, had hired him to shoot the photographs for a supplement on my native land. He, in turn, suggested me as the possible author for said supplement (which was pretty darned cool of him). Because of the size of the supplement, there was no way I could handle it, within the time frame that the magazine needed the articles, by myself. So, I enlisted aid from S and another young friend. Together, we put together stories on Singapore’s street food, restaurants, nightlife, and other areas of interest to visitors. The issue of Food and Travel that contains the supplement is now on sale in Europe. It should hit the States and Asia soon. I hope that you find it both interesting and useful.

And… if you need one more reason to buy this issue, the amazing Melissa of Traveler’s Lunchbox wrote the story on eating in Belgium. I know that I’m a huge fan of her writing and I’m pretty sure many of you are as well.

Technical hiccups and a treat

(Update: I’d like to thank all the readers who have emailed us and congratulate the ones who have won tickets for the screening. Sadly, all 100 tickets have been given away. Keep coming back to this site for future events and fun activities. Cheers.)

Firstly, I’d like to apologize to all readers who have been trying unsuccessfully to check out this site over the past few days; similarly, thank you to those who emailed me to say that the site was down. Due to certain circumstances, I have had to change host servers and the transfer took a little longer than was expected. The transfer was prompted by problems I was having with my previous host. In a nutshell, I have learned the hard way that any web host selling “unlimited bandwidth” is lying and that there really is no such thing as “unlimited bandwidth”. Due to increasingly high traffic, my previous host realized that I was using up too much of their resources and was no longer a cost-effective client. Instead of working to accommodate this site’s needs, they simply decided to continually suspend my account whenever the traffic was too high. Which kind of doesn’t make sense, right?

Anyway, I have just changed hosts. The change should have been seamless except that I mistimed how long the transfer would take. But hopefully, from now on, browsing through Chubby Hubby should be pleasant experience for all of you and one bereft of 404 errors and missing pages.

Lastly, as a huge thank you to all of you readers who have helped me generate such a high volume of traffic over the past 2 years, S and I have decided to put together a little gift.

Ever since I first saw the trailer for Pixar’s latest animated film, Ratatouille, I knew I wanted to see it. The trailer looked amazing. I found myself pointing out details: “Oh my god, that’s a Microplane grater… and there a Molteni range… and look, lion bowls and copper pots.” Everything looked so perfect and realistic… so like a real high-end kitchen, which is not what you would expect to see in a cartoon. But this is a cartoon from the guys that made The Incredibles, which was brilliant. From what I understand, the team behind Ratatouille actually spent time in Thomas Keller’s kitchen, getting a sense of how real restaurant kitchens look and feel. For the 12 of you out there in the world who don’t know what the story is about, here’s a synopsis from IMDB:

“Remy is a rat, constantly risking life in an expensive French restaurant because of his love of good food, as well as a desire to become a chef. Yet, obviously, this is a rather tough dream for a rat. But opportunity knocks when a young boy, who desperately needs to keep his job at the restaurant, despite his lack of cooking abilities, discovers and partners the young Remy. Its up to the two of them to avoid the insane head chef, bring the rest of Remy’s family up to his standards, win his partner a girl, and, of course, produce the finest Ratatouille in all of France.”

Anyway, as I was saying, S and I have been dying to see this movie ever since we first saw its trailer many months ago. And I’m sure we’re not alone. Ratatouille officially opens here in Singapore on 30 August 2007. But, it is sneaking this coming weekend.

And we have booked an entire hall for you.

Yup, we’ve arranged a private sneak preview of Ratatouille just for you. The screening is being held at the Shaw cinema at Bugis Junction this coming Sunday, 26 August 2007. The show time is 5pm. We are giving away 100 free tickets, in lots of four. That means, we will be giving 25 lucky readers four tickets each to the show.

Want tickets? Then be the first 25 persons to ~~email ch.ratatouille@gmail.com~~ (Sorry, all tickets have been given away). You must:

1. Answer the following question: What is a ratatouille?
2. Give us your full name, IC number, and mobile phone number.

(Note that this is only open to people living in Singapore.) Once we get your email, we’ll reply with instructions on when and where to pick up your tickets.

In addition, we’ve invited some of Singapore’s best chefs and their families to join us for the show. And, as if a free movie with great company wasn’t enough, we’ve asked some friends to put together a little bag of treats for you to take home. Huge thanks to Fiji Water, Valrhona, Brewerkz, Marmalade Pantry, Razor Sharp, Greengrocer.com.sg, and the Gryphon Tea Company for helping us pamper you just that much more.

Thanks again and see you at the movies!

Photography Contest winners announced

Wow! When Cathay Photo, Colorvision and I launched this little photography contest, in celebration of colour — and by extension to highlight the importance of proper colour and monitor callibration when shooting digitally — we did not expect that it would be so popular. All of us were very happily overwhelmed. All in all, 149 contestants submitted 285 photos. The quality across the board was extremely high. All of the judges and I were really impressed. And we had a really tough time trying to decide which photos to pick as the top five.

But, because we promised to pick winners — after all, we do have prizes to give away — we’ve ranked our favourite pictures, scored them and have come up with the best of the best.

So, without further ado, here they are:

Grand Prize: Vintage by Sng Kia Jit

Judge Andrew Loiterton loves this shot. He says, “The composition is unexpected but works well with the contrast to the grimy street. And that red really pops!” Kia Jit wins a ColorVision Spyder2Suite, an Olympus MJU 760 Digital Camera, a Wacom Intuos3 6” x 8” Tablet, and a $100 Cathay Photo Voucher. Congrats!

2nd Place: Fairground by Chua Kong Ping

Kong Ping wins the ColorVision Spyder2express, a Wacom Graphire4 6” x 8” Tablet, and a $100 Cathay Photo Voucher.

3rd Place (three winners): Finish Line by Benny Hartono, Shower of Blessing by Marlon Sutanu, and Rowboats, Nepal, 2005 by Jimmy Sng.

Each winner wins a ColorVision Spyder2express and a $50 Cathay Photo Voucher.

Congrats again to all winners and many thanks to all participants. (Note to the winners: Cathay Photo staff will be calling you shortly; you will be able to pick up your prizes from Friday, 20 July 2007.) Huge thanks also to our special judges: ColorVision’s own Mr Sam Ng, their in-house Technical Marketing Manager, superstar photographer Russel Wong, acclaimed and award-winning photographer Tay Kay Chin, ubercool photographer Andrew Loiterton and creative genius Chris Lee, the man behind Asylum.

Sesame + Soy and Food & Culture at the National Museum

Over the past few months, my darling wife S, who is also my business partner, and I have been working on a few rather exciting projects.

One of them is the creation and development of a new Modern Asian restaurant for a boutique hotel in Penang, Malaysia. We had the good fortune of being introduced to the directors of the new, rather swish G Hotel late last year. They asked us to help them come up with a fun F&B concept for a two room space on the hotel’s first floor. Because the two rooms were both quite large and connected by a long corridor, we proposed an interconnected two-restaurants-in-one idea. Once that was approved, and with the help of some friends, we then set about to actually open the restaurant. The restaurant is called Sesame + Soy. Soy, which is in the first room, is a pan-Asian bistro that serves casual but delicious comfort food. Some of the dishes on the menu are gado gado of green beans, lady’s fingers, and tempeh; green pea soup + vegetable tempura; slow cooked pork belly + spicy dried shrimp rice; barbecued coffee cocoa pork ribs + garlic fried rice; pan roasted red snapper and papaya salsa + herbed potatoes; and crispy pork spaghetti aglio olio. The desserts, which we call “Happy Endings”, include gula melaka crème brulee + coconut ice cream, and warm chocolate and nutella tart + banana fritters and vanilla ice cream. Soy soft-opened this past Monday and if any of you are already in or are going to be in Penang, please drop by. The prices are very reasonable; the space is pretty cool; and the food is good. Sesame, which is in the second room, will only open in August. It will be a slightly more high-end Modern Chinese restaurant offering tasting menus, plus a small menu of a la carte options.

A really fun project that S has been spearheading is the development of a new series of public programmes for the National Museum of Singapore. In an effort to reach out to new audiences as well as to reposition the museum as a cool place to hang out in, the National Museum has launched some interesting new initiatives. One of these is called Life & Living. The Food & Culture series of programmes that we have helped developed comes under this line-up of innovative lifestyle programmes and workshops.

There are 10 programmes in the inaugural Food & Culture series line-up, which launches next month (July 2007). Our goal was to create fun, interactive, educational but exciting programmes that appeal to as wide an audience base as possible. Of course, everyone has different tastes, so some programmes have been specifically developed with specific audiences in mind. But as a whole, we feel that the line-up is pretty diverse. And very appealing. I only hope you will agree with us.

Here’s a list of the programmes and the dates on which they are being held:

The mortar and pestle in Southeast Asian cuisine (5 Jul, 630pm)
This 90 minute course brings you through the history of the mortar and pestle in regional cuisines and also demonstrates how to make a couple yummy and versatile pastes using one. Snacks using these pastes will also be served.

The art of the high tea (29 Jul; 29 Sep; 3pm for both sessions)
Join us for a fun afternoon of food and drink. We will be serving a delectable spread of traditional English tea-time treats along with a selection of teas. A tea and etiquette expert will guide you through the art of tasting and appreciating tea, as well as discuss the history and culture of this indulgent, mid-afternoon meal.

Dinner and a movie night (5 Aug; 15 Dec; 5pm for both)
Pairing food with film marries two of Singaporeans’ biggest passions. Make a special night of it by catching a really cool, hunger-inducing food-centric flick at the National Museum’s Gallery Theatre before proceeding to indulge in a meal inspired by the dishes featured in the movie. The movies will be announced shortly.
Modern manners (23 Aug, 630pm)
This interactive talk focuses on the unfamiliar professional and social situations a young person is likely to encounter early in his or her career. By the end of this course, acquire the confidence to handle any social situation, whether it’s being stuck talking with your new boss’ wife at a dinner party, writing a resignation letter or even knowing how to dress for your first real job interviews.

Know your chocolate (15 Sep, 3pm)
Can you tell the difference between a good chocolate bar and a great one? Does having a higher percentage of cocoa in a chocolate bar necessarily translate into a superior taste experience? Is single estate chocolate merely a marketing ploy? Our chocolate expert traces the origins of our favourite deep, dark indulgences and teaches you how to tell the differences between different kinds of chocolates. As part of this sinfully rich course, of course, participants will be treated to a chocolate tasting.

Beyond the Singapore Sling: creating cocktails with local herbs and spices (11 Oct, 630pm)
Fancy yourself a bit of an amateur bartender? Tap on the experiences of an expert and learn how to personalise your homemade cocktails with local herbs and spices. We will introduce key local herbs and spices, and show you how you can incorporate some of them into creative cocktails.

Discovering local herbs and spices: a mortar and pestle master class (18 Oct, 630pm)
At this mortar and pestle master class, we will introduce herbs and spices that form the basic building blocks of innumerable Singaporean dishes, providing useful tips along the way on identifying and selecting fresh, high quality specimens and storing them. Then we will demonstrate how two versatile local spice/herb pastes are prepared using the mortar and pestle.

Classic cocktails (15 Nov, 630pm)
Do you know what goes into a Gimlet, a Gibson and a Sidecar? How about a Rusty Nail or a Harvey Wallbanger? Learn the histories of some of the world’s most famous cocktails. And of course, taste them.

Instant wine expert (29 Nov, 630pm)
This short course, led by a wine expert, will walk you through everything you need to know to appreciate and order wine confidently in any situation. As part of the course, you will get to taste several different kinds of wines from a variety of price ranges.

All wrapped up: Southeast Asian techniques of wrapping food with leaves (6 Dec, 630pm)
Southeast Asians have developed sophisticated techniques utilising leaves to wrap a host of traditional dishes. Learn how different leaves impart flavours and aromas to food and get tips on how specific leaves are prepared before they are used. Our instructor will talk about the history of this culinary technique, demonstrate classic wrapping techniques and show you how to prepare two leaf encased dishes.

The very first class, “the mortar and pestle in Southeast Asian cuisine”, which is being taught by super-foodie, cookbook author, photographer and newspaper columnist Christopher Tan, is next week. If interested, please click over to the National Museum’s website, click on the “What’s On” section, and register as soon as possible. Please note that there is a small fee for all of the above programmes (but we think it’s worth it). We hope to see you there.

WIN S$2806 WORTH OF FREE STUFF

A little while back, I wrote about using ColorVision‘s Spyder2 system. In that post, I mentioned I would be working with Cathay Photo, my favourite Singapore-based camera store, to help publicize this cool color management system. Well, here’s just one way we’re hoping to grab your attention… AND also get you involved. Plus, we’re giving way oodles of amazing free stuff!

Celebrating Color

Ever notice how looking at bright and rich colors can sometimes make us feel better, more energetic or suddenly more festive? Whether it’s a bright red umbrella on a dark rainy day, your friend’s fun summer dress or a beautiful plate of fresh food, bright colors have the power to lift us up and remind us to enjoy life.

Cathay Photo, in partnership with ColorVision and Chubby Hubby and with sponsorship from Olympus and Wacom, is celebrating the power of colors through this photography contest, hosted on Chubby Hubby. Further, photos will be judged by a panel of well-known photographers, creative wizards, Cathay Photo staff, Chubby Hubby and ColorVision’s own Mr Sam Ng, their in-house Technical Marketing Manager. Our special guest judges are superstar photographer Russel Wong, acclaimed and award-winning photographer Tay Kay Chin, ubercool photographer Andrew Loiterton and creative genius Chris Lee, the man behind Asylum.

Here’s what you could win!

Grand Prize (value S$1501):
ColorVision Spyder2Suite
Olympus MJU 760 Digital Camera
Wacom Intuos3 6” x 8” Tablet
$100 Cathay Photo Voucher

2nd Prize (value S$588):
ColorVision Spyder2express
Wacom Graphire4 6” x 8” Tablet
$100 Cathay Photo Voucher

Runner-Up Prize (3 winners, each prize worth S$249):
ColorVision Spyder2express
$50 Cathay Photo Voucher

To enter, simply submit up to a maximum of 3 photographs that you’ve taken and that you feel celebrate color. To submit photos, you will need to join Flickr (I’m assuming anyone with a digital camera should be a member — after all, it’s free) and then join the Group that I have created for this contest. It is called Celebrating Color Photo Contest — you can go there by clicking here. Once you have joined, upload the photo or photos you intend to submit. Once on Flickr, click on them one at a time, click on the “send to group” button and add them to the Celebrating Photo Contest group. It’s that simple.

Then email Chubby Hubby at aun@chubbyhubby to say you have entered. Please note this is mandatory! You have to email me to be considered. You MUST include the name(s) of your submission(s) (so I can identify it on the Flickr group), your Flickr username, your own full name and hp number. This contest is only open to Singaporean-residents.

You can start submitting photos immediately. Closing date is 10 July 2007. We will announce the winners on 17 July.

A short break (from food) to talk about color management

About a month and a half ago, I got an email that can only be described as serendipitous. I had just flown back into Singapore the day before. Because I needed something to kill time with on the flight, I had bought a digital photography magazine at the airport (something I honestly rarely do — I usually get my news and reviews from www.dpreview.com). One article that I found really interesting was on color management and monitor calibration. Mid-last year, I had made the switch from Mac to PC (I still have the Mac, I just use the PC as my primary machine). And while I was very happy to make the change, one thing I noticed and that really disturbed me was that my photographs looked completely different on my two computers. No amount of tweaking of the PC’s Adobe Gamma settings satisfied me and I found myself, for months, checking to see how pictures looked on both computers before posting them. What I found was that on many occasions, pictures that I thought looked fine on my PC — and, I should say, this is after editing them in Photoshop — looked screwed up when I loaded them onto my Mac… and vice-versa. Sometimes the pictures would be fine on one machine and then look over-saturated on the other. Or green or too yellow or something. Basically, I found myself unable to decide which one was more accurate and instead of really trying to fix the problem, opened both laptops side by side one day and manually tweaked their screen settings until the colors on both were as close as possible (which meant they could have both been entirely off-base). Of course, while I was satisfied with the screen results, when I tried printing images, they weren’t what I expected. They were good, but they just weren’t what I had seen on screen.

I should add that I spent 10 years in the magazine world, so I should have known better. After all, in that industry, our designers’ monitors were regularly callibrated by our printers in order to ensure that what we saw on screen was really what was printed. In fact, as I think about it, I suspect that I considered monitor and color calibration something you needed to bring an expert in to do for you; I never really thought about doing it myself. Until I read that article. The article recommended two products, the Spyder2 system made by Colorvision and the Huey made by Pantone. I had decided that when I had some time I would do some research and try one of the two systems.

That’s when Cathay Photo emailed me. Cathay Photo, as any Singapore-resident knows, is one of the oldest, best and most reliable camera and camera equipment retailers in town. My grandfather — who collected Nikons and Leicas — shopped with them for most of his adult life and it is one of the two stores in town I trust. One of their staff had seen my blog and in a rather out of the box move had decided to contact me. She wanted to know if I might be interested in testing the Spyder2 color management system and if I thought it was something useful, would I mind blogging about it? (Like I said, serendipitous.) Of course, despite wanting to type, “yes yes yes!” right there and then, I told them I’d think about it and suggested a meeting (can’t seem too eager, right?). To make a long story short, I made what I think is a reasonable deal with Cathay. I would try out the Spyder 2 system. If (and only if) I found it useful and it worked, we’d sit down again and hammer out some ways for me to help them publicize the system.

Getting the system set up is a breeze. Install the software off of the included CD, plug the patented Datacolor Colorimeter (which I’ll call “the device” in the rest of this post; “patented Datacolor Colorimeter” is just too much of a mouthful) into your computer’s USB port. Launch the software and follow the instructions, which in a nutshell tell you to rest the device on your monitor. Once the device is in place, the software flashes a series of colors on your screen, which when exposed to the device, helps your computer create the most accurate color profile possible. What I discovered is that the callibration seems to work best in total darkness. I ran the software three times (in different lighting conditions) before I was completely satisfied with the color profile proposed. I also tried calibrating my wife’s laptop in different lighting conditions, with the same results.

The differences between what I had been working with previous to calibration and what the Spyder2 system created for me were astounding. To show you just how different the colors were, I have taken photographs that I had edited to what I thought were pretty good results pre-calibration and then edited them post-calibration. On my laptop, the “after” photos are perfect. The colors are, well, very real. They also reproduce beautifully and accurately in print. The “before” shots, however, are kind of wonky. In the first photo series (cashew chicken), the “before” shot has too much green and yellow. The “before” shot below of my gorgeous friend J drinking soup is too yellow. The “before” shot of the Moroccan chicken is also too green and the “before” shot of the chicken curry is slightly green and way too yellow. Now, the strange thing is that some of you are going to be saying, “Wait, on my screen, the ‘before’ shots look better.” (I know this because I just checked the pictures out on a friend’s laptop and some of the “befores” do look better on hers.) BUT… and this is a big “but” … they only look good because your monitors may be a tad inaccurate. If you were to try printing the images, you’d be shocked to discover that what you see on screen is not what you’ll see on paper (you may already have this problem). Proper color management and monitor calibration is extremely important for anyone who works with photos (and/or any other colored media) on their computers and intends to share those pictures with others.

I’ve been totally thrilled with the results of the Spyder2 system. (I was so happy in fact that I convinced Cathay that they simply HAD to advertise on my site; amazingly, they agreed!) The system reminds you to recalibrate your monitor every few weeks, which is useful and recommended.

But don’t take my word for it. Try it out for yourself. Honestly, not only will you be looking at your own photos and prints in a new light, so will everyone else.

Special wine offer

I’m a big wine lover. That said, I don’t often post on wine, mostly because there are so many great wine blogs and bloggers out there who are already doing a fantastic job, and doing it much better than I ever could. I’ve been lucky, over the years, to have had the chance to taste some excellent wines and more recently to get to know some great winemakers, retailers and distributors. A recent chance-meeting at a dinner party has given me the opportunity to work on something really exciting with a team of really passionate wine distributors based in Singapore.

In partnership with my new friends, I’ve helped put together two mixed lots of wine that are available for purchase. The first is a “starter kit”, i.e. a really (really) affordable collection of six fantastic wines. They’re perfect for buying and drinking right away. They are also perfect if you are just getting into wine. The second lot is more serious. It’s a “collector’s case” of twelve amazing wines from tiny, boutique vineyards in France. These are all special wines which you can buy, store and then open for those special occasions.

For info on how to purchase these, please click over to my Shop page. There you will find info on whom to contact, plus the prices for the two kits. Below is some detailed info on the various wines that we have selected for each of the two kits. Happy drinking!

Chubby Hubby Starter Kit
6 bottles, 3 bottles of red wine and 3 bottles of white wine.

These are the reds:
2003 Chateau Haut Barreyre (Bordeaux)
This wine comes from an estate that has been producing fine Bordeaux wines since the 18th Century. This sauvignon/Semillon grapes is a yummy wine which drinks well now but also ages well, increasing in depth and richness. It is well balanced with cherry-chocolate fruits and a fine acidity.
2003 Chianti Classico, domaine Castello di Rampella (Tuscany, Italy)
This yummy Italian is 85% San Giovese and 15% Cabernet Francs. It is a full bodied style with blackcurrants and spices and is very well balanced. It is a fantastic wine to pair with any meat course.
2001 La Chapelle de Bebian (Languedoc)
Prieure Saint Jean de Bebian has been leading the push to produce incredible wine in Languedoc since the late 1970s. The Grenache, Carignan and Syrah blend has a nose marked by leather and spices. The wine itself is soft and fresh with a taste of stewed fruits.

Here are the whites:
2003 Bourgogne Blanc, Dominique Laurent (Burgundy)
Another stunner from this crazy garagiste. This wine is 100% Chardonnay. It has a ripe and floral nose and is round and fresh on the palate.
2003 Ch. Barreyre (Bordeaux)
This estate has been producing fine Bordeaux wines since the 18th century. This Sauvignon-Semillon blend is perfect to start your meal with.
2004, Muscadet Expression d’Orthogneiss, Domaine de L’Ecu (Loire Valley)
Owner Guy Bossard is one of the pioneers of Bio Dynamic viticulture in France. He has also helped raised Muscadet wines to an astounding level of quality. This wine is very ripe and fresh.

Chubby Hubby’s “Collector’s Case”
12 bottles, 8 reds and 4 whites.

The reds:
2003 Beaune 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes, Dominique Laurent (Burgundy)
From one of Burgundy’s top garagistes, this wine is made only from “old vines” (which means they are pre-phylloxera vines, unlike those planted and used by most vineyards in France). This 100% Pinot Noir wine is bursting with flavour and has a nice finish.
2003 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains, Dominique Laurent (Burgundy)
Another stunner from Laurent. This 100% old vines Pinot Noir comes from one of the best parcels of land in Burgandy. The wine has a lovely texture and a character marked by blueberries, blackberries and strawberies.
1989 Chateau Du Puy (Bordeaux)
This estate, farmed by the Amoreau family for 400 years, is located in the Cotes de Francs appellation next to Saint Emilion. Bio dynamic viticulture and careful vinifications bring us a wine with great length, complexity and elegance.
2000 Chateau La Negly, L’Ancely (Languedoc)
A new expression of Languedoc wines made from Mourvedre and Grenache grabes. This is a powerful wine that has been aged in new oak for 24 months which helps concentrate the fruit and gives the wine a nice ripeness. The tannins are robust and give the wine a muscular structure.
1998 Prieure Saint Jean de Bebian (Languedoc)
This Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre blend is one of the most elegant wines made in the Languedoc region. It has a superb ripeness and notes of black fruits, cinnamon and black pepper on the nose.
2003 Le Clos des Fees, Domaine du Clos des Fees (Roussillon)
From one of the most promising estates of Southern France, this Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvedre blend is vinified in large and small French oak barrels. This very concentrated wine impresses with its silky texture, very fine tannins and its phenomenal length, revealing intense black fruits and aromatic herbal notes.
1995 Mas de Daumas Gassac (Languedoc)
Since the 1970s, Damas Gassac has been behind a push for better and better wines from Languedoc. An unusual blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, this wine is a striking demonstration of the relevance of planting Cabernet outside the usual Bordeaux area. The wine displays Southern France’s wild side yet remains elegant.
2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes, Tardieu-Laurent (Rhone)
Michel Tardieu is one of the most talented winemakers in the Rhone Valley. In partnership with Burgundian Dominique Laurent, he produces gorgeous wines. This Chateauneuf, made of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grown on “old vines”, is very rich and possesses a superb texture and fruit purity.

The Whites:
2004 Pouilly Fume Pur Sang, Didier Dagueneau (Loire Valley)
After 20 years of farming and vinifications, Didier Dagueneau is now reaching a cult status among white wine lovers around the world. Made of 100% Sauvignon grapes, these wines display an amazing blend of fruits, mineral and spices. They are truly in a league of their own.
2004 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes blanc, Tardieu-Laurent (Rhone)
Made of Grenache blanc and Roussanne, this wine displays very fresh notes of fruit, spices, fenel and dill, without the heaviness sometimes found in white Chateauneufs. Great ageing potential.
2004 Anjou Vignes Francaises, La Sansonniere (Loire Valley)
Mark Angeli is one of the most important producers in the Loire Valley. For the past 15 years, he has questioned bad viticultural habits and has been promoting a return to more natural and sensible farming methods. This wine, made form 100% Chenin French vines not grafted on US rootstocks displays a pure blend of ripe white and yellow fruits underlined by spices. On the palate the wine is full and round with an amazing lightness.
2003 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, Dominique Laurent (Burgundy)
Celebrated for his great red wines, Laurent is also a very talented white producer. Grown in one of the few Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy, this 100% Chardonnay Corton Charlemagne possesses superlative density and ripeness. The hallmark minerality of Corton Charlemagne is for the moment hiding behind the fruits, but a few years in bottle will bring the wine to a balanced glory.

Menu for Hope winners announced

Are you a big winner? If you made a donation to this year’s Menu for Hope and purchased a chance to win some amazing prizes, you should head on over to Pim’s blog immediately to see if you have won. To get there, please click here. Congrats to edwf, cookingismypassion, Spike, keaton, Sui Mai and Dave Boggs for winning the prizes that I sourced. Please email me so I can get the prizes and/or vouchers to you. I am very excited that I myself won a prize, a 10 course dinner for 2 with wines at Becasse in Sydney, generously sourced by Helen from Grab Your Fork. I am so planning my Sydney trip as soon as possible!

Knocked out!

Ironically, Chubby Hubby is down with gastroenteritis. Posting will resume as soon as the room stops spinning.

P.S. I just wanted to thank everyone who took part in Menu for Hope III. This year, we raised US$60,925.12, which is quite an amazing and impressive sum.

Menu for Hope III

During this festive season, one of the very best things any of us can do is give to those who aren’t as fortunate as we are. Please join me and almost every other food blogger in the world in raising money for the United Nations World Food Programme. Menu for Hope is an annual web-based initiative founded by celeb flogger Pim Techamuanvivit of Chez Pim. Through this awesome campaign, over the past two years, food bloggers have raised funds for the American Red Cross (aid for Tsunami victims) and UNICEF. This year, in a very fitting move, we’re raising money to feed the less fortunate.

Here’s how the campaign works. Floggers around the world have either donated or have sourced amazing prizes that anyone from anywhere in the world can buy (virtual) raffle tickets for. The money that is collected will be donated, as said, to the United Nations World Food Programme. Pim will be hosting a round-up of all of the donated prizes. To see the global round-up, please click here. In addition, each region has its own host, who will probably post more details on the prizes donated in her/his region. The Asia-Pacific round-up is hosted by Helen over at Grab Your Fork. The fundraising and funds distribution is being managed by professional fundraising company First Giving. To go to the Menu for Hope III donations page, please click here. Every US$10 that you donate qualifies you for one chance at any of the prizes of your choice.

I’m extremely happy to announce that I’ve managed to talk 6 friends into donating 6 amazing prizes for Menu for Hope III. (Please note that the vouchers/dinners must be claimed in 2007.)They are as follows:

1. Dinner for four with wines at Iggy’s in Singapore (prize code AP01)

Every reader knows that I’m a huge, huge fan of Iggy’s. Restaurant Magazine rated this tiny Modern European restaurant the 4th best restaurant in Asia. The late, great Johnny Apple and the very-cultured Kevin Gould have both raved about Iggy’s amazing menus and wine lists. Dinner here is truly a treat. The value for this meal is approximately US$750.

2. Dinner for two with wines at Tetsuya’s in Sydney, Australia (prize code AP02)

Who hasn’t heard of the great Japanese-Aussie chef Tetsuya Wakuda? His restaurant is clearly one of the very best on the planet and his unique blend of Western and Japanese cuisines has made him a living legend. Dinner at Tetsuya’s is a must for any foodie. Win this and treat yourself and a loved one. Tetsuya promises that he’ll prepare a very special meal for the winner.

3. Dinner for two at Felix at The Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong (prize code AP03)

Felix is a Hong Kong landmark. Designed by Philippe Starck, it’s as famous for its killer interiors and views as it is for its food. Felix’s new chef, American Jason Oakley, has a stunning pedigree. Formerly from the French Laundry and Alex at Wynn’s Las Vegas, Oakley’s own very contemporary cuisine is putting Felix back on the culinary map.

4. Two amazing Japanese chef’s knives (prize code AP04)

Japanese knife specialist Razorsharp has kindly donated two gorgeous and exceptionally well-made Japanese chef’s knives, a Kasumi 20cm chef’s knife and a Hattori HD 17cm Santoku knife. You could not ask for two better tools for your kitchen.

5. A set of 7 cookbooks and travel books donated by Editions Didier Millet (prize code AP05)

This is a great collection of cookbooks and travel books. I’m also personally excited by this collection because I helped write two of the books in this set.

Hot Chefs Hip Cuisine
This book features original recipes from 34 of the world’s most daring chefs, including Charlie Trotter, Ferran Adria, Michel Troisgros, Gordon Ramsay, Tetsuya Wakuda, and more, who have, in their own ways, changed the way the world eats. Proceeds from sales of this book are donated to UNICEF.

New Chinese Cuisine
This book chronicles how the chefs at the respected Tung Lok Restaurant group are revamping classic dishes from Sichuan, Hunan, Beijing and Canton in order to create a new Modern Chinese cuisine.

The Six Senses Cookbook
Founded in 1995 by husband-and-wife team Sonu and Eva Shivdasani, the Six Senses brands have become synonymous with luxurious living and cutting-edge concepts. With resorts and spas located in the Maldives, Thailand and Vietnam, Six Senses properties feature the very best in resort accommodation and spa experiences, accompanied by a keen sense of environmental awareness. The restaurants at the group’s Soneva Resorts, Evason Hideaways and Evason Resorts (under which Ana Mandara is branded) have also been serving up innovative fusion cuisine to a rising tide of international acclaim.

Four books from the Chic series: Shanghai Chic; Singapore Chic; India Chic; and South Africa Chic. Each of these books offers great narratives covering both history and culture, as well as reviews and listings of each destination’s coolest hotels, restaurants, spas, shops and bars.

6. A suite for a weekend at the New Majestic Hotel, plus a voucher for dinner at the Majestic Restaurant, Singapore (prize code AP06)

The New Majestic Hotel is Singapore’s sexiest and most chic boutique hotel property. Similarly, its resident restaurant, the Majestic, serves some of the country’s best, most well-prepared and modern Chinese food. Stay for a weekend in one of the hotel’s uniquely appointed suites and dine in-house. The dining voucher is worth S$80.

As said, to make a donation and buy a chance for one of these or other prizes, go to the donation page at http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhopeIII. Each US$10 will give you one raffle ticket towards a prize of your choice. Please specify which prize or prizes you’d like in the ‘Personal Message’ section in the donation form when confirming your donation. Do state how many tickets per prize, and please use the prize codes; for example, for a donation of US$50, you could buy 2 raffle tickets for AP01 and 3 for AP02. (For US donors, if your company has agreed to match your charity donation, please remember to check the box and fill in the information so we may claim the corporate match.) Please also check the box that allows First Giving to see your email address so that they can contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone. Donations are accepted from today until 22 December 2006, so please act quickly. Finally, if you do take part, please check out Chez Pim on 15 January 2007 to see all the results of the raffle.

Don’t forget to check out all the regional hosts to see details on all the various prizes. Here’s a list of them all:

US West Coast: Becks and Posh
US East Coast: The Amateur Gourmet
US (the rest): Kalyn’s Kitchen
Canada: Cardamom Addict
Europe: Davidlebovitz.com
Latin America: The Cooking Diva
Asia Pacific: Grab Your Fork
Special wine bloggers’ host: Vinography

Thank you so much for reading. Please tell your friends about this and please, please, please donate and take part in Menu for Hope III. Good luck!