I was reminded recently, over a great but ridiculously sweaty breakfast at Epicurious, an ultra-popular cafe along Robertson Quay, just how much I enjoy baked eggs for breakfast. Of course, I am a egg freak to begin with; I could happily eat eggs for brekkie seven days a week.Epicurious’ baked eggs were lusciously runny. Cooked with a generous helping of bacon and cream, and served with toast soldiers, they are simple yet entirely satisfying.

After that breakfast, I became a little obsessed, as I often do, with having great baked eggs at home. For the next week, I made baked eggs every single morning, trying to perfect cooking times and temperatures, while also trying to decide what the best combination of ingredients would be.

I’ve decided that my favourite combo is a pretty simple one, bacon and spinach with a hollandaise cream sauce and topped with gruyere. The recipe is below. Please note that your oven may require you to adjust the time. Plus you may prefer your eggs a tad more cooked or a tad runnier.

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Macarons – the gorgeous gorgeous little things. I’ve been a fan of these delicate yet intensely flavoured, colourful and dainty to behold sweeties for a while now. And actually, come to think of it, they’re not even toooo fattening, relatively speaking (no butter in macarons!).  Whenever I was in Paris, I would invariably hand-carry back at least two or three boxes of the precious little biscuits from the better-known patisseries – Ladurée, La Maison du Chocolat and Pierre Hermé. Back home, I would slowly savour them, accompanied by a cup of steaming vanilla-infused black tea, lingering over my favourite flavours – hazelnut, rose and sea-salt caramel.

Although Ladurée and La Maison du Chocolat are already in Hong Kong – the former, about half a year ago (behold the long queues even today) and the latter, for some years now, I’ve been eagerly awaiting for Pierre Hermé to finally make its appearance in Hong Kong. So when I received the invitation to attend its opening event at the end of last month, I excitedly requested for a quick sit-down with the master Monsieur Herme himself.

Heir to four generations of bakery and pastry-making tradition, Pierre Hermé began his career at the age of 14 as an apprentice to legendary pâtissier Gaston Lenôtre. He became a pastry chef at 20, and that marked the beginning of his ascension to the heights of pastry art.

I understand your first boutique was actually in Tokyo, even before the first ones in France (Paris) – how did that come about?
It was really due to just the perfect timing – the president of New Otani Hotel in Tokyo ordered a cake from me for a personal event. He loved it so much that he suggested that I open a temporary boutique in the hotel – which became so successful that it ended up being permanent. Thus, the first Pierre Hermé boutique was born. Our president Richard Ledu also moved to Tokyo and grew the business from then on.

Macarons can be found in many patisseries and bakeries these days – how are yours are different?
When I first started making pastries in 1976, I was inspired to make a macaron that was tastier and more intensely flavoured than any others. I discovered that it all came down to the filling. The filling needs to be the star. I make sure that all my macarons are made with the most premium ingredients, in the most optimal quantity and quality. For example, our olive macaron (huile d’olive & vanille) is made with olive oil, vanilla and actual slices of olives in each macaron. And the chocolate one (infiniment chocolate pérou) is made with pure origin peruvian dark chocolate form the Morropon province in the village of Asprobo, and its sweetness is balanced by the finest sea salt. All my macarons are made by hand, so each one is truly artisanal.

How do you make sure that the macarons and chocolates in your Hong Kong boutique are consistent with the quality and artisan that you’re best known for?
Well, everything is made in our Paris kitchens and air-flown directly to Hong Kong, ensuring that the freshness is optimal. In order to guarantee a consistently high quality product for every item including our macarons, we utilise very specific methods (which I can’t really divulge!) during the journey from Paris to Hong Kong.

You’ve written several books, including Macarons – do you have a particular tip for us at home when it comes to making them?
Macarons shouldn’t be consumed immediately after they’re made – when you’re finished with making the macarons, chill them for at least 24-48 hours before eating them. They reach their optimal tastiness at that stage as the flavours would have properly infused throughout the entire biscuit.

Pierre Hermé
Shop 1019C Level One IFC Mall
8 Finance Street
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2833 5700
www.pierreherme.com

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During my recent trip to Norway and Denmark, I discover the Scandinavians consume a lot of open-faced sandwiches for their lunches. One of the Danish cafés, Aamanns, that I visited specialises in open-faced sandwiches or what the Danish called smørrebrød. They simply take a plain piece of rye bread and pimp it up by topping it with seasonal produce and make it delicious. The combination of the fillings is genius yet uncomplicated. It makes me realise that sandwiches do not need to be a slap of butter, salad, tomatoes, cheese and ham – it can be a lot more if you put your thinking hat on.

While I was reading Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Everyday (which by the way is a very good cookbook), she had a recipe for an open-faced egg sandwich which was no frills and classic. Most importantly, making this sandwich requires ingredients that are found in almost every household – bread, egg and yoghurt. I decide to play around with the recipe and add a Middle Eastern twist to it. It is a tad bit more effort but this is not your boring, ordinary egg sandwich. You will be amazed how playing around with a few ingredients can produce a simple yet delicious meal. You can pack the ingredients separately and bring them to the office. When you open your lunch box, you will be the envy of your colleagues.

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I have been eyeing the beautifully packaged jars of sustainably sourced, hand filleted fish from Good Fish on the shelves of SuperNature for quite awhile, so I leapt at any excuse to crack one open. I enjoyed a jar of the delicious tuna in a roasted vegetable and quinoa salad, but was unsure as to how I should harness the strong flavours of Spanish mackerel. It occurred to me that grilled mackerel tastes best with a generous dusting of salt and a good splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice, so I set out to incorporate a good level of acidity and savouriness into my salad. I took inspiration from a tuna and orzo recipe from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food and liked the results so much that I thought I’d share my recipe with you.

The Spanish mackerel from Good Fish is strong tasting without being offputtingly fishy. It’s nicely seasoned straight out of the jar, so it gives a touch of character to this salad, which I like (consider how sea salted air is so intrinsic to the pleasures of sitting on a beach). I feel that tuna or salmon would fade into the background in this context. The Spanish extra virgin olive oil that the mackerel sits in is an added bonus. It was so lovely that I drizzled it into the salad. And the random pops of sweetness you get from the raisins keep it from tasting like a one-hit wonder. The addition of fresh lemon juice and zest, as well as fresh peppermint leaves makes this salad taste like something you should be enjoying while sitting barefoot in the sun out on a boat somewhere. I hope you do!

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When the Chavez family decided to relocate to Florida, little did Daniel know that his career would be taking a turn towards the biggest adventure of his life: discovering his culinary side.

Daniel Chavez is Peru’s culinary ambassador to Singapore.  That’s how I see him, anyway.  Despite his training in Spanish cuisine, and his opportunistic beginnings inside a kitchen, he is a talented representative of Peruvian food in South-East Asia.  Daniel’s personality, subtle, humble, is what makes him shine.  His experience is top-notch, yet he speaks of himself with such simplicity, and holds the lessons he’s learned along the way with such regard, that he sees himself as an eternal student, and the fruit of his lessons are seen in his food.

Daniel’s curriculum vitae is impressive.  From a brasserie in Florida to work experience in Lima and Cusco, he took a leap of faith and moved to Spain to do a hospitality course.  That one decision led him to Valencia, then Barcelona, where he met his mentor Santi Santamaria.  Daniel gained experience next to Santi, but mostly understood the value of a true boss.  Santi led by example, he made sure every member of his team counted, from dishwasher to maître’d.  After Barcelona, Daniel went with Santi to open Ossiano Restaurant in Dubai.  A few years later, he’d become executive chef of Santi Restaurant in Marina Bay Sands.  That’s where Chef Chavez learned a practical lesson: Singaporeans love seafood.  Then, the concept for Ola, Cocina del Mar (Wave, Cuisine of the Sea) came along, a Spanish seafood restaurant in the modern heart of Singapore’s financial district.

Have you always want to be a chef?
I was a late bloomer.  When my parents moved to Florida, I jumped on the bandwagon, unsure of where I was heading career-wise.  I had been studying business in Lima, but was neither here nor there with my vocation.  My father convinced me to change courses and give the Florida Culinary Institute a go.  I had done an introductory cooking class at a culinary school back in Peru, but just as a bit of fun.  I was hesitant at first, but after the first week, I was loving every minute.  I’d found my new self!  Three months later, I started working at a big brasserie, Henry’s of Boca.

If it hadn’t been for my dad’s insistence, I would never have given it a go.  I owe my parents a great deal, especially for pushing me to discover the dormant chef inside me.

Who’s the best cook at home?
Back in Peru, definitely my paternal grandmother.  She’s queen of the kitchen.  Our family is quite large, sixty of us would get together on the weekend, and she would cook for all us; a feast, needless to say.   Her star dish is carapulcra (the traditional Peruvian stew made with dried potatoes, pork, peanuts, and chilli), that’s what I miss the most.

What is your go-to dish?
Pasta! In all of its forms. And lately, cebiche.

What cuisines do you pay attention to the most?
Spanish, always, especially because of my training, but as I’m a Peruvian chef who hasn’t trained in Peru, I always pay special attention to Peruvian food to perfect my trade which didn’t take place in a Peruvian kitchen.  Additionally, I’m impressed by Chinese cuisine, by its depth and complexity, and would like to learn more about it.

Santi clearly made the biggest impression on you; what are your fondest memories of him?
That’s easy.  Eating a staff meal at Can Fabes, everyone eating like one big family, Santi in the middle, chatting with everybody, despite the European way of diving people hierarchically. Santi sat next to the dishwashers, Santi made sure everyone ate the entire meal:  appetizer, salad, fish course, two meat dishes, desserts, bread soup.  I remember him having a political discussion with some people who had emigrated from Africa; he was genuinely interested in people, and in getting to know his staff.  My biggest lesson:  we’re all the same, so be a true human being, treat everyone with respect and be humble.

Your style in three words?
Joyful, simple, tasty.  I try to be, anyway, in the kitchen and in life.

What’s an ideal day at home for you? Or an ideal day off?
I like to go out to eat.  Singapore is perfect for that, both chefs and locals do it as a hobby.  I enjoy seeing what’s happening behind other kitchens.   An ideal day off would be to cook for my family.  I miss my parents who are in Lima, and my brother who lives in China. I’d love to cook for them.  I feel I have a debt to my parents, I guess they’d be my celebrity guests, to show them what I’m doing, where I’m going with my food.

What food do you travel for?
Cebiche, no doubt about it.  I travel and would travel to any and every cebicheria.  I can’t wait until my next trip to Peru to see what new things are coming about.  I’d also revisit an old favourite, La Paisana in the district of Magdalena.  It serves cebiche from the north of Peru.  The difference is in the spice – aji limo is always the key chilli, it gives it a different aroma and flavour.  At La Paisana, it’s always superb. 

What’s a guilty pleasure or yours?
In Singapore? Mee sua and pork offal soup, I love that stuff.

Do you have an essential cookbook?
There are hundreds, but Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry is excellent.  Well explained, great technique.

Please, share with us a kitchen nightmare story!
I was straining chicken stock and the boiling soup fell on my foot! That was during my first month as a chef, twelve years ago.  I didn’t even have real chef’s shoes then, and my foot got badly, badly burnt.  I was wearing these massive boots that I thought would protect my feet.  Lesson learned the hard way. I had to spend the rest of dinner service with my foot inside a bowl full of ice.  The scars are deep, you can still see them.

What do you feel is a Singaporean treasure?
The hawker centres.  They’re amazing, I keep discovering things, spices, new flavors, crazy dishes.

Any favourite drinks to accompany spicy curries and noodle soup?
Tiger beer!

What would you like to see more in the Singaporean food scene which is already so buzzing and vibrant?
A Peruvian restaurant, for sure.  Singapore is the only gastronomical capital that doesn’t have a Peruvian restaurant. As for Ola, I intend to bring in more Peruvian dishes.  The competition in Singapore is heavy, so it’s important to keep adding new things to the menu, making seasonal changes.  Ola has been open for ten months.  Fortunately the numbers keep growing – due to word of mouth, the clientele numbers are picking up, more Latin American customers are starting to frequent the restaurant.  I’m also doing cooking classes and have been approached to do pop-up restaurants.  Hopefully that’ll encourage more locals to be enticed by Peruvian food.

Ola – Cocina del Mar
12 Marina Boulevard, Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3, #01-06
Singapore 018982
Tel: +65 6604 7050
www.osvaldo.sg/ola/

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Any regular reader knows that one of the dishes I hold most dear to my heart is the burger. I adore burgers, both western style (topped with condiments and served between buns) and Japanese style (covered in a thick demi-glace sauce and served with rice). Unfortunately, while it is relatively easy to find a burger when dining out, it is hard to find a truly exceptional one. One that will make you go, “Wow!”, immediately start texting friends about, and return just a few days later for another serving. The CW Burger Breakfast, available at The Market Grill on Telok Ayer Street (in Singapore), though, is just such a burger.

The CW Burger Breakfast is hands down the best burger I’ve eaten so far this calendar year. For my tastes, it ticks all the boxes. 150g of chuck, hand-formed? Check. Bacon? Check. Aged cheddar? Check. Sunny side up egg? Check? A light pickle spread for just a hint of acidity? Check. A dash of mayo? Check. Fluffy, soft, toasted sesame seed bun? Check. A couple dollops of Heinz and you’re in burger heaven. The beef is seasoned expertly and done to a nice pink perfection. The condiments and toppings come together with just the right amount of salty, sweet, sour, savouriness that makes every bite a true joy.

As you can imagine, I eat a lot of burgers. And, every so often, drag my wife S out on a burger hunt. But, to be perfectly honest, almost every single burger I’ve had over the last year — even from many much ballyhooed burger specialty joints — has left me unsatisfied. Chef Colin West’s CW Burger Breakfast is the first burger that I’ve wanted to write about.

Of course, Loh Lik Peng’s The Market Grill is not even just a burger joint. It’s a full fledged grill hiding inside a whimsical, industrial-chic diner — the kind of place you might imagine Jean-Pierre Jeunet creating for one of his films. The menu offers a nice variety of steaks, burgers, and lobster, pork chop, lamb rack, and cod. Plus a pretty substantial list of starters and sides.

Because I was so eager to return to The Market Grill after my first burger experience there, I brought S, our son T, and S’s parents there for lunch just a few days later. A larger group also meant we could try more things. S ordered the Lobster Sliders, which should actually be renamed Lobster Roll, because that’s what it is… a traditional New England style lobster roll, executed perfectly. The lovely, sweet meat from a 500g lobster, mixed into a creamy herbed mayo, served with fresh romaine in a toasted, split-open brioche roll. Simply gorgeous. The whole family sampled the yummy Crispy Pig Ears, which was served with a vinegary sauce that in many ways reminded us of similar Teochew dishes. And my in-laws both had other burgers, of which the CW Bleu Cheese is pictured above.

My only gripe with The Market Grill — which is a gripe I have with many of Loh Lik Peng’s recent restaurants — is that they don’t take reservations. As a fussy old fart who hates waiting in line, I find this practice really quite aggravating. But Colin West’s CW Burger Breakfast is one thing I’ll get in line for. That burger is just that damned good.

The Market Grill
208 Telok Ayer Street
Singapore 068642

OPENING HOURS
Monday – Saturday
Lunch 1130am – 230pm
Dinner 5pm – 10pm
Closed on Sunday

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We could say that cooking is often theatre. With more and more open kitchen and chef’s table concepts in the hippest of restaurants, where guests are even invited to assist with the prep, this is becoming something that is increasingly eagerly embraced.

Of course, the notion of food intertwined with a performance and its various iterations isn’t really that novel. When it comes to dinner theatre, for example, two immediately come to mind for me in Singapore – Ah Kong’s Birthday Party, which enjoyed a long and successful run in the 90s, and the recent The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband. Additionally, artists are also keen to engage their audience’s senses in a more all-encompassing way – beyond the sight and sound of a typical performance, why not smell and taste? As this article (from as long ago as 2007!) aptly explains, “more and more artists are beginning to explore the visceral connections between food, taste, smell, memory and storytelling, and provoke powerful reactions from their audiences in the process.”

Still, it isn’t everyday that we get invited to a performance that’s also an immersive cooking demonstration/class – so I was definitely intrigued and excited about Curry Tales, written and performed by Rani Moorthy of Ra Ra Show fame in the 90s. During the performance, Rani will be using her culinary skills to prepare six different curries, each by a different character. And, the part that’s particularly interesting for me – Rani actively engages the audience with requests to peel, stir, taste and to provide recipe suggestions

Curry Tales is already a critical hit in the U.K., where Rani is now based, and the performance will comprise previously filmed segments weaved in with close-up live feed camera footage.  I was chuffed to be able to ask Rani a little about curry and life:

You’re primarily based in the UK now, what do you miss most about Singapore, apart from the food?
Friendships. There is sometimes an overwhelming sense of loss. The ability to just have a party at the drop of a hat without waiting for invites or RSVPs. Maybe we were all younger and I’m just nostalgic but I miss all that. Wrapped up in those friendships is theatre, so I miss the sense of discovery, the early days in Theatreworks or The Necessary Stage when we were on the brink of finding something new or so it seemed. That feeling is truly delicious.

What was your inspiration behind this very interesting style of production?
All the legendary cooks I know are men and women who truly open their hearts when they feed you. That’s the art of giving and also of story-telling. Think of the best restaurants in the world and there is something theatrical about them.

Where do you get inspiration from when you decide what to cook?
It comes from deep within. Literally. My stomach. I let my body decide what it wants.

I understand that the audience will be engaged and involved in the cooking during the show – could you describe that a little more detail? 
I’m a little worried about this because Singaporeans have such high standards where food is concerned and I am definitely going to disappoint! My curries had to be kept simple because it is still theatre and the strict health and safety guidelines mean that lots had to be pre-cooked. But I hope that show itself will be intriguing enough, so the food if you get any will be secondary.

If there is one dish you could cook and serve your loved ones over and over again, what would it be?
A typical Tamil fish curry with string hoppers

Any secret tips for aspiring cooks who want to cook a hearty, delicious curry?
Use chicken or artichoke hearts instead of your own. That way you can actually enjoy the curry! Always remember a cook worth their masala never shares secret recipes.

Curry Tales runs at the Esplanade from 13-16 June 2013. Performances are 8pm each night with a 3pm matinee on Saturday.

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School’s out and I’m guessing that many of our readers will be hitting the road with their families for the holidays, so I thought a quick list of useful things I discovered on our first family road trip with our two-year-old in tow might be a helpful thing to share.

We recently took a red eye flight to Brisbane, Australia and then drove 90 minutes to Noosa, which is on the Sunshine Coast. Despite having a fitful night’s sleep, T managed to enjoy the drive as well as the numerous other trips in the car thereafter. There were no meltdowns, no complaints. I was most grateful as a girlfriend of mine had terrified me with her memories of a drive from Perth to Margaret River where she had to stop at every playground along the way to keep her then toddler happy. Here are some simple tips for a happy family road trip.

1. Take regular breaks
We arrived at a little past 5 in the morning after a nearly 8-hour flight. Instead of rushing to bundle ourselves into the car and getting on with our journey, we opted to freshen up a little and have a little breakfast at the airport. This gave all of us a chance to stretch our legs. CH and I got to grab some coffee (it’s important that you don’t feel sleepy on a long drive, it can have disastrous consequences). And we managed to unwind a little so that we didn’t feel like we had to keep to a tight schedule. It helps maintain peace in the family. Similarly, on longer drives, it’s worth identifying interesting stops for the family. When driving in Australia (our favourite destination for self-drive holidays), CH and I enjoy taking ice cream, pie or coffee breaks.

2. Invest in a comfortable car
I’d honestly never given much thought to this in the past since all our previous trips only included the two of us. But you’ll find that I am now going to go on and on about the choice of car. From the selection at Hertz (where we got our car), we would have ordinarily rented a sedan for longer trips, and—on rare, self-indulgent occasions—something from their Fun Collection for city driving simply because it’s the only way we can afford to get behind the wheel of a cool car we love. This time, for our first family road trip, we got an SUV (sport utility vehicle). The Toyota Kluger (above), to be precise. This was the first time I’d driven an SUV of any kind. And I loved it (save for when I needed to park it in a tight spot).

I never thought I’d genuinely rave about a car so much. I rarely care much about such things. I enjoy getting behind the wheel and taking to the open road, but I understand very little about vehicle performance. So, forgive me if I dwell on what petrolheads may deem unimportant. These are the details that I would’ve done without if they had cost me extra in the past. But having enjoyed them, I’d invest in them again if I were embarking on another family road trip.

I just loved that the car was really easy to handle, nice and stable at highway speeds, and places passengers at a great height for taking in the view (especially for little T). And the rear view camera that helps with parking the car did make things a lot easier. I guess, what I’m saying is that anything that makes you feel more relaxed and happy while you’re driving is a good thing. And, there’s no point in arguing over maps and directions, rent a GPS unit. And for peace of mind, invest in insurance and invest in zero excess. For years, I’d make CH slow down to a snail’s pace on gravel roads (driving him insane in the process) because I once got a hairline crack on the windscreen of a rental way back when I was an undergrad driving down gravel roads in Margaret River and had to fork out the full excess fee for it. The fewer arguments you have, the happier the holiday.

The ample legroom in the back made a significant difference to T. We brought our own car seat (we had it wrapped at the airport before we checked in both in Singapore and Brisbane) to avoid dramas with adjustments and installation upon arrival. In this SUV, we could tilt the car seat back for naps without T hitting his feet on the driver’s seat (something that happens all the time in our own car and which leads to occasional ‘situations’). This was great because on long drives, we could squeeze his afternoon nap in while we were on the go rather than try to rush back to our hotel. Each seat in the back had separate controls for backrest adjustments so no one was forced to sit in an uncomfortable position, and we could’ve easily and comfortably accommodated three people in the back (plus another two way back in the third row if we needed to) without making anyone feel like they were packed in like sardines. Similarly, separate temperature controls for the back meant that we could adjust heat or air-conditioning without major drama. These small things make a huge difference to little ones stuck in a car for long stretches of time, especially if they’re new to the concept of layering clothing. Ample storage compartments and drink holders in the back were also a boon for all the in-car amusements, snacks and drinks we needed at our fingertips.

Up front, two charging outlets meant that we could plug in the GPS unit we got from Hertz and charge a phone or iPod at the same time. Incidentally (as someone who has received far too many speeding tickets in Australia), the Hertz GPS unit amusingly called the NeverLost pointed out all speed cameras and alerted us when we were over the limit, all very handy when driving in Australia, I must say. And a huge lockable glove compartment made me very happy as I could store all our travel documents and other valuables in there, and still accommodate the all important camera in an easy-to-access location.

In many ways, on a road trip, your car needs to function a little like a hotel room, and I now realise that all these little details gave me the peace of mind to truly enjoy our time together as a family. So, the next time I rent a car for a family trip, these are going to be on my checklist! Your list may turn out to be quite different, but the key thing is to work out what’s important to your family when you’re selecting a car for a road trip.

3. Take turns driving
If you can take turns at the wheel, it lets each driver get a little rest. It also means that the children get someone different to entertain them every now and then. And never ignore sleepiness and exhaustion. Be honest about it. Falling asleep at the wheel can cost lives.

4. Remember to hydrate
We know how important proper hydration is for the body. Just bear in mind that the lack of hydration also exacerbates jetlag, and being hydrated helps beat constipation (both fairly common issues when kids travel), making it even more important to ensure that everyone drinks plenty of water. Pack a water bottle or sippy cup for each child to avoid spills as well as fights. We use them on the plane, too. In places where water safety is an issue (or you simply can’t get access to refills easily), buy a large bottle of water—they’re generally more economical—and store it in the car so that no one ever goes thirsty. I often pack reusable melamine cups so that everyone has his or her own cup.

5. Pack snacks
Fresh fruit, dried fruit, trail mix, homemade granola, pieces of cheese, small packages of wholegrain cereal and biscuits are useful to have on hand when hunger pangs strike. We know toddlers don’t have the patience to wait for the next rest stop or gas station. Using a tackle box for snacks is a fun idea. And the Yumbox, which I recently chanced upon, would also be handy. I like the fact that it is leakproof. A small insulated bag for perishable items will help prevent tummy upsets and a supply of wet wipes will make clean up a breeze. I find that such snacks are also great standbys for those moments when the little one refuses to eat anything at the restaurant we’ve happened to stop at for a meal.

6. Pack in-car amusements
As far as I can, I try to avoid handing over my phone or tablet to T in the car. This means that I try my best to have a range of toys on hand that will engage T. I’m a huge fan of Mr Printables where I get ideas as well as free downloads for beautifully illustrated kids’ printouts. The flash cards and printable number lines are awesome. Simply choose a bunch that your child will enjoy. And for older children, there are great games and puzzles that make learning such fun.

Compact books are also great. I couldn’t resist this set of Pantone mini board books  that have fun cut outs and introduce different shades of each colour, which I picked up at the gift store at the State Library of Queensland. To create anticipation for our trips, I enjoy pulling out Miroslav Sasek’s This Is… series of travel books for children. They’re a little unwieldy to travel with, but T loves the illustrations. And small wind up toys (we love the rattlesnake we picked up at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary) are great distractions for when a child is at the brink of a hissy fit.

We never leave home without a couple of model cars. Storing them in a travel pouch makes for easy access. I bought T one with vintage cars (above) from Bonpoint last Christmas which doubles up as a car circuit. You just store the cars in the pockets, wrap the circuit over itself and tie it up for neat and easy packing. But there are great tutorials for making your own over at All For The Boys.

Don’t underestimate the entertainment value of stickers, especially little ones that can be stuck on limbs, water bottles and other personal belongings. I hoard them obsessively. Even colourful dots are great. Something to doodle on is also useful. I find paper and crayons or marker pens a little difficult to manage in a car, so I was thrilled when we chanced upon the Boogie Board, an impossibly compact LCD eWriter that comes in a range of candy colours. It’s a hi-tech version of the Magna Doodle, now called a Doodle Pro, I believe. Roughly the size of an iPad Mini, it’s wonderfully portable. And with the touch of a button, you get a perfectly clean slate. A small board for magnetic toys is also good fun. T is currently obsessed with reciting the alphabet, so the alphabet and number magnets from Magnetic Poetry have been a huge hit with us.

Finally, don’t forget to pack a favourite stuffed animal or blanket, some music (especially songs that you can all sing to, the iPod is great for this) and be sure to bring along your sense of humour. There is no better source of entertainment for your child than you!

Safe travels and happy holidays!

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I first became aware of Jean-Georges Vongerichten when I was living in New York. I was in advertising, it was the early 1990s and expense accounts were fat (people in America not just yet ; and I was just beginning to learn what it meant to eat really well. My first meal with JG, as he is known by foodies worldwide, was at JoJo in 1992. Funny because this is also my mother’s nickname for me, but personal coincidences aside, this was the meal that transformed me. Three courses of wonderment later, my eyes were opened to the startling possibilities of cuisine which pretty much put me on the trajectory of culinary exploration I have been on ever since.

And so it was a wonderful honour that I recently had the opportunity to sit down to interview Jean Georges in Shanghai over a cappuccino. I must admit I was a little overwhelmed sitting with this culinary legend but his warmth and openness quickly put me at ease. As we started to talk, I asked him about his connection to Asian and Shanghai in particular – after all, many of his New York restaurants are Asian-inspired and he’s opened two restaurants in Shanghai over the years.

Jean Georges beamed a warm smile redolent of fond memories, and he told me about his first experience in Bangkok in 1980. He had been working in France but, “I wanted to see where all the spices came from,” says Jean Georges, “and back in those days, there was no Internet, you had to travel somewhere to experience them.”  He remembers when he first arrived to take his post at Mandarin Oriental – “when they opened the door of the plane, even the smell of the air was different,” he says.

His first meal, like mine actually when I moved to Thailand, was the classic Thai hot, sweet, spicy and sour soup – Tom Yum Goong. “It was amazing to me, because in France we would boil a stock for 2 days and here they just made it on the street right in front of me.” His time in Asia changed his palate as he went from working with traditional European ingredients to playing with chilies, ginger and tamarind. When I ask about his favourite Chinese dish, without hesitation he says, “Xiao long bao is spectacular!”

But what we are here to talk about today is his cookbook, Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes.   The master of the perfect, polished plate has done a cookbook based on the rustic cooking he does in his country home on the weekends.  “Cooking at home is a group event – every one who comes to dinner has to chop or peel,” Jean Georges says laughing, “And then it is all about putting things on the table that people share.”

I have been playing around with the cookbook and want to share with you my favourite, crowd pleasing recipe – Crab Toasts with Siracha Mayonnaise:

Since I have been using Cooking at Home with Jean Georges, I must say that the compliments have been streaming in and generating buzz amongst my friends (“OMG, you missed the dinner at Joanna’s last weekend….the crab toasts were legendary!”). And I like having the feeling of a little bit of Jean Georges at home – it somehow reminds me of home in New York, but also seems to be apropos for exactly where I am in life right now in Shanghai. Thanks JG!

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One of the first blogs that really got me hooked onto reading about food, and inspired me to write about food, was Orangette. When I read Molly’s writing, I feel like I’m sitting right in her living room, sitting cross-legged on her sofa, listening to her stories. I fell in love with her heartfelt words, her honest photographs, and mostly, her delicious, never-fail recipes. Whenever I find myself in need of gastronomic inspiration, I browse her recipe index and pick whichever I’m in the mood for that day. She always has just the thing for me. Take this prosciutto pasta for instance. Since I laid eyes on it a couple of years ago, it has been my hubby and my go-to for the quickest, tastiest and most satisfying meal, anytime of the day.

Molly’s version is as close to perfection as it gets. But because I’m an egg-slut, I top my pasta with a gently-fried sunny-side up. It’s heavenly when the runny yolk gets mixed in with the Parmesan, prosciutto and noodles. My better half raised an eyebrow at first when he heard I was meddling with the good thing that we have loved for so long. But he gave it a go and since then, we haven’t stopped eating it my egg-topped way.

I don’t know what it is, but I consider it supremely romantic when the hubby and I sit side by side and have this with some dry white wine for lunch, just the two of us at the table. It is my idea of bliss, if I can just shut out the din of my screaming kids, fighting over the only toy that both of them must have at that very same moment. So I thought it might be more peaceful if I had them at the table, shovelling said pasta into their gobs instead. I made an extra portion for them the next time around, and the peace was only punctuated by my 19-month old daughter’s loud, demanding cries to be fed more pasta, fast. Now, that’s a noise I don’t mind hearing more of.

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