Chubby Hubby - 2/78 - food, family & the finer things in life

Jan Power’s Farmers Markets has a new jewel at the Albion Mill Village. Brisbane, Australia

Fifteen years ago Brisbanites could only dream of having the kind of access to farm fresh produce that much of Europe and Asia enjoyed for as long as anyone can remember. Roadside stalls with boxes of produce and an honesty box yielded you a hit and miss selection of whatever was in season if you were prepared to hit the hinterland on a weekend but other than that and what you could grow in your backyard, produce buying happened at the local fruiterer and increasingly, at the supermarket. Continue Reading →

Recipe: Uni encased in tomato water jelly

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of whipping up a real feast. The occasion was the birthdays and wedding anniversary of my brother and his wife, which all fall on the very same day in November. Because of our current work and child schedules, Su-Lyn and I don’t find the time to entertain as often or as dramatically as we used to. But for this dinner, I decided to go all out. Continue Reading →

Know your limits – Dinner and conversation with Xavier Beaudiment at Chefs With Altitude

In The Five Obstructions, one of the strangest documentaries I’ve ever seen, the notorious filmmaker Lars von Trier challenges the equally controversial Jorgen Leth to remake his most famous short film, The Perfect Human, five times, each with a set of constraints of von Trier’s choosing. The stipulations – the film must be reshot in Cuba; it must be made into a cartoon; Leth himself must play the leading role – are patently ridiculous, as are the remakes, which manage to be even more avant garde than the original. Continue Reading →

Mini cheesecake cupcakes

Whenever Christmas comes round, it signals the start of mum’s American Cheesecake baking season. Her record was set in the early 2000s when 47 cheesecakes were made and sent out our doors over a period of 3 weeks leading up to Christmas. The whole house just smelled of cheesecake… constantly. So safe to say, everyone in the family is a sucker for the dessert. Continue Reading →

Oldie but goodie: Lawry’s, The Prime Rib

When I think of prime rib, I think of Lawry’s. I don’t crave red meat often, but when I need to scratch that itch, it’s go big or go home. Glistening slabs of marbled, well-aged, juicy, melt-in-the-mouth, immensely flavourful beef, with proper gravy, hearty mash, artery-clogging Yorkshire pudding, and perhaps creamed spinach as accompaniment, this is meat-and-potatoes Version 2.0. If there ever was a meal my hubby might walk over hot coals for, this would be it. Continue Reading →

3 Asian chilli pastes you should never buy at the supermarket….

…because you can make them better at home.

Before I moved to Asia, I used to regularly buy these items in the supermarket. And actually a bit after I moved as well….until my then Singaporean boyfriend said…what? You don’t make your own chilli sauce? He was shocked. Appalled. Perhaps even a bit ashamed. Apparently a woman without her own recipe for sambal is not marriage material. Ha! Well the Singaporean boyfriend is no longer in the picture, but the recipe for sambal is. Continue Reading →

SingleHop f!%!#ed my site up! Sorry for the outage.

I am so sorry that this site has been going bonkers for the past few days! If you are a regular visitor, you can see that somehow, we’ve lost all content posted after 7 November 2013. Continue Reading →

You must try Violet Oon’s dry laksa

This is a public service announcement. If you are a noodle lover, if you are a local food addict, if you like spice, or hell, just like food in general, do yourself a favour and go check out Violet Oon’s Kitchen and order her Dry Laksa. Continue Reading →

Amaz in Lima – Amazonian cuisine

To those familiar with the cuisine found in the South East Asian jungle, Amazonian cuisine may, or may not come as a surprise. It comprises similar preparation methods and ingredients, including grilled bananas, meats and seafoods. I had just come back from Tarapoto, a city in the San Martin region, and had sampled popular dishes such as tacacho, and patarascha, which involved the grilling of meats and seafoods on heliconia leaves.

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Oldie but goodie: Tony Roma’s

Every which way you turn in Singapore nowadays, there are cooler, edgier, fancier restaurants springing up. Although it is fun and thrilling to explore new flavours, marvel at their striking decor, or even try a new cuisine, I oftentimes just yearn for something tried and tested, especially when it came to special occasions. For my hubby’s birthday recently, I planned a series of meals in restaurants that originated from way back when. Nostalgic favourites that still stand strong today, unfazed by the new kids on the block. The first oldie but goodie on the cards was Tony Roma’s. Continue Reading →

Comforting yet modern east-west cuisine at Pidgin Kitchen & Bar in Singapore

I’m always quite excited when I hear that a chef is trying to take on the very interesting challenge of producing “Modern Singaporean” cuisine. Combining our traditional flavors with modern cooking techniques, plating styles from different cultures, and ingredients from all over the world is something that I both enjoy playing with at home and eating when done deftly by a skilled chef. Chefs that do this well include Willin Low, Jeremy Nguee and Malcolm Lee. And, from what I’ve tasted during a recent trip to Pidgin Kitchen & Bar, Chef Adrian Ling. Continue Reading →