Chopsticks, Fork and Spoon

Two Sundays ago, dinner and dessert was the plan. And after spending five hours in the UK border agency with nothing but the Weekend Guardian Magazine, the recipe chosen was from the food and wine section, a traditional Levantine dish called Maqluba. And because dinner is never enough, Banoffee Pie was made for a follow up. What else would be a better conclusion to the night than banana, toffee with a biscuity base. With the help of two of my friends, we shopped, we cooked and we conquered.

Happy cooking.

Maqluba 'Upside Down' - serves 6-8

4 medium aubergines
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g basmati rice
½ tsp ground allspice
1 tsp finely chopped thyme or marjoram leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
600g minced lamb
Olive oil, for frying
1 good pinch cinnamon
2 onions, finely sliced
3 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into thick slices
ed almonds
400ml beef stock
Finely chopped parsley, to garnish

Cut the aubergines into 6mm slices, sprinkle them with salt and leave for 30 minutes to an hour. Put the rice into water to soak for an hour. Mix the allspice, thyme or marjoram and garlic with the meat. Rinse the aubergines and pat them dry with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel. Heat about 1cm of oil over a medium-high heat and fry the aubergines on both sides until just starting to turn golden. When they're all done, remove and set aside, then brown off the meat in the same pan. Tip into a bowl, season with cinnamon and plenty of pepper, then fry the onions until soft and translucent.

Brush a round casserole lightly with oil. Line the casserole with a layer of tomatoes, then a layer of aubergine (use a third, so you end up with three layers), and sprinkle a layer of meat on top. Scatter over a few almonds and a third of the onion. Repeat until all the aubergine and meat is used up. Put the drained, rinsed rice on top, pour over half the stock, cover and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes. Add the rest of the stock and cook for another 30-40 minutes, until the rice is almost cooked. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

Put an ovenproof serving dish or plate over the pan, carefully turn out the contents of the casserole and put into the oven for 10-15 minutes. The rice will finish cooking and any liquid left will be absorbed. Sprinkle parsley over the top. Serve with a few peeled, deseeded and sliced cucumbers, tossed in yogurt with a pinch of sea salt and chopped mint.
Recipe from Guardian Weekend Magazine, 28th September 2009

Banoffee Pie

400g of Condensed Milk
Three Large Ripe Bananas
Packet of Digestives
Half-pint of Double Cream
2tbs Butter
Vanilla Essence 50g
Milk Chocolate

Crush the biscuits in a freezer bag with a rolling pin until they are reduced to crumbs. Gently heat some butter in a saucepan until liquid (or just leave some out at room temperature to soften). Pour crumbs, dash of vanilla essence and liquid/soft butter and mix in with the crumbs until they start to bind together. Transfer the biscuit crumbs to a round dish and pat with a spoon so that they cover the base. Place in the fridge to set. Put the closed tin(s) of condensed milk in a pan of boiling water and allow to boil for 2 hours . You should put a lid on the pan to prevent all the water boiling off. When done, remove the tin and leave to cool. When cool enough to handle, open the tin carefully - the condensed milk will have caramelised and may well shoot out the opening. Slice the bananas and arrange them on top of the biscuit base and pour/spoon the toffee from the tin onto the layer of banana. Place back in the fridge to cool. Whip the cream until peaking (you may grate some chocolate into cream if desired), then fold on top of toffee and smooth out. Grate milk chocolate on suface for effect. Keep in the fridge until needed, covered with cling-film.

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On a nice sunny Sunday, we decided to do lunch, the group being TT, Ling, Jono, Jing (who flew all the way from Singapore) and I, at none other than Cafe XXII in Pyrmont. This was the first time all of us have been here on a Sunday lunch and we all decided to be adventurous and order away from the usual suspects.

TT ordered the big breakfast. It came with an oddly shaped hashbrown, some sausages, bacon, grilled tomatos, two poached eggs on a slice of toast. It was a huge serving and pleased TT's big appetite.
Ling ordered the eggs Florentine which were the same as eggs benedict just with smoked salmon. She mentioned that the salmon was quite sweet, which was a bit peculiar as it was smoked salmon.
Jono had the eggs benedict. He was guilty of choosing one of the usual suspects that we order at this place. As usual, the eggs benedict never fails in its taste, still great.
Jing ordered the spanish eggs. It was scrambled eggs, with tomato, spanish onion, on a crispy bed of polenta and adorned with slices of chorizo. I had a taste of this and it tasted smashing. I will order this next time.
I ordered the sweet corn fritters. It was topped with slices of avocado, sour cream, crispy bacon and a grilled tomato, surrounded by sweet chilli sauce. I was quite skeptical ordering this as the last time I ordered it, the fritters were not tasty, the bacon was chewy, and the avocado wasn't ripe. Not this time! This was the winner of the day, the fritters were so crispy and fresh, bacon nice and crunchy, the avocado perfectly soft and sweet and the combination of all the ingredients made this dish worthwhile.

After our meal, we decided to head off our separate ways as Jing had about 1 hour sleep while the rest of us were about to watch Up! The movie was great, it was touching yet hilarious at the same time, and we felt we got our money's worth! All in all, a great day!

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A few calls were made, a few messages were sent, and numerous emails later, we were ready for dinner at Long Beach Restaurant in East Coast Park, Singapore.

I was slightly tired on the day of the dinner as we came from a 5 hour bus ride from Kuala Lumpur and I was still sleepy. I dozed off by the sun lounge at SccL's old Condominium block, and was still feeling a bit dazed. Nothing like some of Singapore's famed chilli crab to wake up the senses.

We decided to meet at the restaurant and we decided to go for the banquet.
First up were the drunken prawns. The prawns were absolutely fresh and cooked perfectly, but the serving of two prawns per person had me leaving rather disappointed. The soup had a nice amount of rice wine and was not too strong for my liking. The prawns were finished quickly and everyone was happy with this dish.
The pork spare ribs in sweet peking sauce, with salted eggs was next. This was also very good, the pork nice and crunchy, the sauce with a good amount of sweetness, and the salted eggs a welcome addition.
Deep fried tofu and pork floss came out next and I quickly dug into this. The tofu was nice and moist with a crunchy exterior, the sauce had a great flavour but was a little mild and the floss added some nice texture to this dish. This was another favourite among the group.
Water spinach was the compulsory vegetable offering to arrive at our table. These were topped with large cloves of garlic and small anchovies. The water spinach was a great dish, the anchovies I prefer to be a little more crunchy but as they were being soaked into the soup, it was bound to get soggier the later you waited to get into this dish.
The fish had come out the same time as the water spinach and had a great smoky aroma surrounding as it was put down. The smokiness could also be tasted in this dish and added great flavours to the fish. The fish was very fresh and moist however, the table were divided about this dish, with the disbelievers noting the smokiness ruining the natural flavour of the fish.
Black Pepper Crab. This was one of the other famous dishes apart from the chilli crab. While I liked the flavour of the black pepper sauce, and the abundance of meat from the crab itself, I felt as though it had less going for it than the chilli crab. You will find out next.
The chilli crab in all its glory. The sauce itself is reason in itself to admire this dish. The chilli, rich, sweet, creamy sauce was a delight and so delcious. With the fried buns that accompanied, they were a match made in heaven.
The buns were broken, dipped in the sauce, and then eaten. The crab had large amounts of meat, and were easy to take out. The crab meat was fresh and meaty. I now know why Singapore is famous for the chilli crab, and hence one of the many reasons why I will come back to Singapore.
Earlier in the day we took some photos of Singapore, and this is a photo of the Skyline from the air-con'ed comfort of the taxi. Reminds me a lot of Sydney.
And here is a photo of the area we were staying at. It was located in the eastern part of Singapore, not too far from the shopping mecca that is Orchard Road, where we had spent a mini fortune on shopping and trinkets.

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It is TT, Ling and I, and we are attempting to score some last minute tickets for Avenue Q. As we get to the Theatre Royal we find that there are three tickets left, but were in seats with obstructed views. We decided to postpone watching Avenue Q.

As disappointed as we were, we needed to find something to do as it was only 5pm and it was too early to call it quits. As we were having cravings for Xiao Long Bao, we headed to Din Tai Fung, knowing that at this early time we can still go there without having to queue up.
The Xiao Long Bao came out first, Din Tai Fung's signature dish. I had high expectations of their dumplings from everyones reviews and had never been to Din Tai Fung before. As I dipped my Xiao Long Bao into my red vinegar and ginger sauce, I can tell that these dumplings had a few man hours involved in making these beauties. The broth that was encased in the pastry was flavoursome but not overpowering, and the wrapping had a nice thickness and didn't feel starchy, as some that I have tried. The pork mince mixture inside was lovely, moist and well cooked and the dumplings were a great start to our meal.
TT had ordered the avocado shake. I took a sip, and it was so creamy and buttery and so good. The chocolate sauce a little over the top and I thought the drink did not need it. Nonetheless, a great drink.
Vegetable and Pork dumplings in Spicy sauce was also ordered and came out. I really enjoyed the sauce, it was sweet and had enough chilliness to add that extra kick. I was hard pressed to find any meat in the dumplings as it was all spinach, but all was forgiven as the dumplings tasted as good as the xiao long bao.
TT ordered the Dan Dan noodles, rice noodles in a peanut based chilli broth. TT enjoyed his dish very much, but by three quarters into the dish, the sauce became too rich and was left unfinished.
Ling ordered the Mince Pork Noodles. I did not get to taste this but she informs me that it tasted great and was finished happily.

I ordered the chicken cutlet and noodle soup. The soup base of the noodles was rather bland, and I prefer a broth with much more flavour. The chicken was crunchy and delicious, and when combined with some chilli oil and the noodles and soup, made a great combination.
The drunken noodles were ordered for the table to share. TT and I both thought the dish was exceptionally small and were depressed. TT had a bite of the chicken and said that he like the chicken and could taste the rice wine in this dish. I had a taste and could also taste the rice wine, which was a bit too strong for me and so didn't have much more during the dinner.

After leaving Din Tai Fung, I was the only hungry one as TT and Ling were pretty full. I knew I could still eat but waited till I was more hungry before eating again, so TT and I both decide to get a haircut while Ling watches us boys get pampered. After a short haircut pit stop, it was time for supper at I Heart Taiwan.

For drinks we have ordered the hot taro milk tea. It was one of the best drinks I have ever had. I enjoy anything Taro flavoured and this was just pure bliss. It was creamy and had the true taro flavour I long for when I order this drink. As excited as I was, I was keen to drink this in one gulp, but burnt my tongue on the first sip. Relunctantly, I sip the drink slowly and carefully not to burn myself. If it wasn't for the lateness of our supper I would have ordered another one. It was that good.
The Taiwanese sticky rice was also ordered and TT and Ling did not think I would like this. They were wrong. I enjoy sticky rice in Yum Cha, and this was not that much different. While I still prefer the yum cha version, this was still delicious, with shitake mushrooms and pork and rice that was cooked to a nice sticky consistency, I easily devoured this.

We lingered on in the cafe drinking our teas and talking about how they make the tea and about how long this cafe will be in business, but we noticed that there were people waiting to come in, so we ask for the bill and decide to call it a night.

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One of my favourite pastimes to do in Sydney is brunch. Don't get me wrong, I love breakfast and lunch too, but brunch always does it for me. The sun has been out for a few hours to warm up the city, it is not that early that you can still afford to have a sleep in, and it is not too late that you can still have a read of the newspaper and a glass of OJ.

It is a Saturday morning, and we have decided to brunch, us being TT, Ling and Jono. I got a message from TT on the Friday night asking for any suggestions and I was not sure where to go, and later he came up with the recommendation of La Petit Creme in Darlinghurst. So we decided to meet there at 11ish on Saturday.

I bumped into Jono at Kings Cross Station and we must have caught the same train. We find ourselves walking onto Darlinghurst Road and find the cafe in no time. On the outside table we find the newlyweds TT and Ling scoring a nice table and we head over to them.

Jono and I are a bit lost because we heard the eggs benedict were the special but we couldn't find it on the menu, but the lovely waitress assured us that it is being served, so we have a sigh of relief. After deciding what we were going to order for food and drinks our drinks arrive first.

Jono had the iced chocolate and we all gasped when it came out. It did look mightily delicious and I was quickly kicking myself for not getting it and sticking to the humble orange juice. After Jono took the first sip, he was slightly disappointed, and I felt a little better I choose the safe option.
TT and Ling decided to order a flat white. It came in a Le Bol size and was quite big. It had a slightly deformed heart shape and some sort of air bubble on the left, but I guess it added to the charm of this place. The flat white was given a thumbs up by TT and Ling, especially TT, the coffee enthusiast.
Next came the mains. Ling ordered the omelette with spinach and cheese, and it was accompanied by half a french baguette. It was a very large portion but this time, quantity won over quality, as the omelette was very ordinary. It felt as though the omelette could be cooked by anyone and was not the star dish of the day.
TT ordered the eggs benedict with bacon. It was a very large serving as well, and was served on toasted brioche. TT mentioned that the bacon was a little too limp, and the eggs were overcooked, but the sauce and the toasted brioche were excellent.
Jono and I ordered the eggs benedict with Smoked Salmon. And we were glad we did. It tasted amazing. The eggs were cooked to a great consistency, not too runny but not too stiff, and the hollandaise sauce had the right amount of sourness. The brioche was the perfect base, as the sweetness of the brioche was balanced by the saltiness of the salmon and the sourness of the hollandaise sauce. A winning dish.

After brunch we were very full and ready to walk off what we ate. Jono headed off to another event, such a happening boy, and Thad, Yiling and I headed to Paddington to go to the FringeBar markets and go shopping along Oxford Street.

We didn't realise it was fashion week and so Oxford and William Street had lots of events going on, free popcorn and fairy floss, and a reggae band playing. We were quite amused with all the activity going on. I bought a necklace from the Fringebar markets, and TT bought a funky tee.

The vendor scoffed when TT said he wanted a small, so the vendor went out back and got Thad a small sized tee. So to prove Thad was a small, he tried the shirt there and then in the middle of the store, and fit perfectly. He purchased the shirt on the spot. Haha.

The lady I bought the necklace from was explaining to me the story about how she came up with the idea of the necklace. It had a wishbone and a protective hand. She mentioned that it was made of rust proof brass and that it went through treatment so that it won't lose its colour. Ling and I were both blur.
After shopping, we worked up quite a thirst and so we tried to look for the infamous Five Ways in Paddington. After initally getting lost, in which we actually arrived at the "Four Ways", an intersection of four roads instead of five and rather dead and un-happening, we made it to Five Ways and had a few drinks at a cafe which had one great chai latte. A nice end to an afternoon of shopping.

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We have all heard that Penang is Malaysia's, wait, the South East Asia's, food capital. So, our number one priority in Penang is to taste as much as this great city has to offer.

After shortly arriving in Penang international at roughly 10pm from Tawau, and waiting 20 minutes for our baggage to arrive in the carousel, we waited for our ride at the exit of the airport and were whisked off to our next destination, like the jet-setters we are.

We were on a mission, to eat as much as we could, and our first meal didn't disappoint. We ordered frantically and the dishes arrived in no time at all.

I was a bit too slow to take a photo as each dish came out, but this photo indeed captured most of what we ordered. But once I took my camera out, we all started snapping away like paparazzi.

In this photo, we have, starting at 6pm, is fried noodle cubes, and rotating clockwise, we have pipis, (lala), a squid salad with nice sweet sauce (Ju-hu Engchai), two servings of char kway teow, oyster omelette, and in the middle we have popiah, a fresh spring roll with vegetables inside.
My favourite out of this spread would have to be the fried pipis, which were fun to eat, as you sucked them out of its shell, and it had little fried prawns which added a nice crunch. And the sauce was thick and sweet, maybe it would be nice to have rice to mop up some sauce, but was still good to eat this on its own as we still had a lot of food and didn't want to get full on carbohydrates.

This was the sea snails (Balitong) and was an interesting choice. It was quite challenging to get the suckers out of its shell. After a few failed attempts, I mastered a technique of poking one side with chopsticks, and sucking the meat through the other side, and worked with great success. It was a little chewy, and I preferred the pipis to be honest, but still a great dish.

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