Had a moment to myself today

so I made a macaron sandwich with Haato milk tea gelato.





Happy Sunday everyone!

More on Macarune

Macarune had it's 2nd Variety Pack event in 2010. This time with cookies + macarons! Lately, I've been addicted to the + sign. It's just so much chicer isn't it?

The Cookie + Cuppa party was cozy, because most guests ended up picking up their orders and leaving for dinner. Though a few managed to stay, and that was fun.

As with most parties, I was running in and out of the kitchen a lot, so it was really hard to entertain. Sorry folks! I promise it'll be less harried next time :)

Here's the flavor card with the inspiration behind each cookie and key ingredients:

• Chocolate: Double chocolate sablés with a hint of fleur de sel. The quick fix when I'm craving chocolate. Key ingredients: Valrhona 55%, Valrhona cocoa and Mediterranean fleur de sel
• Coconut: A crispy Summer BBQ Favorite. In San Francisco, we used to serve these with ice cream and raspberries. Sometimes I would bake them slightly wider and thicker for ice cream sandwiches, which we then freeze and snack on all through summer. Key ingredients: Unsweetened coconut flakes from California (not sure of the actual origin)
• Earl Grey: My rendition of the "grown-up shortbread," flavored with TWG Earl Grey. While this tea may not be the strongest of Earl Greys, it does have pretty blue cornflowers. If you're lucky, you might just spot one amidst the crushed tea leaves. A touch of orange brings out the best in bergamot. Key ingredients: TWG Tea Company Earl Grey tea, freshly grated orange zest
• Fruit & Nut: A play on my childhood favorite candy bar: Cadbury's Fruit & Nut. Chewy drop cookies with generous chunks of toasted walnuts and pecans, followed by the occasional raisin. The brownie-like interior is what makes this the bf's favorite. Key ingredients: Valrhona 64%/70%, Australian pecans, apricots, Californian walnuts and raisins
• Matcha: Think green tea shaved ice with condense milk :) This shortbread flavor is highly dependent on the kind of matcha powder used. This time around, I used one that's slightly lighter than the norm to accommodate tea cookie novices who may prefer less "green" with each bite. White chocolate rounds up the flavor, especially when strong matcha powder is used. Key ingredients: Japanese matcha powder and Valrhona white chocolate
• White Russian: Tribute to the Big Lebowski. A classic cocktail of coffee liquor and vodka. This one's not for the kids ;) Key ingredients: hazelnuts, Kahlua, Absolut Vodka, Valrhona cocoa and Illy espresso powder
• Hibiscus: My all-time favorite macaron. What used to be exotic (not so much anymore now that I live in Asia!) hibiscus flower soaked in Persian rose tea. Because this flavor is often overlooked and undervalued, I thought I'd include it in the sample pack for your tasting. Key ingredients: Dried Roselle and Persian rose tea
• Vanilla bean raspberry: A new Macarune flavor, combining the familiar richness of vanilla bean and the tartness of freeze dried raspberries. Key ingredients: Tahitian vanilla bean and Californian freeze dried raspberries

I've also posted this list with more pictures on FB>

Getting the packaging together alone, took half a day. Well worth it though!


A single order


Half of 4 orders

More on FB>

Fun with Macarune

Snapshots of recent batches:

Vanilla bean macaron innard. While it's clearly a personal preference, I don't believe there's another buttercream that brings out the richness of vanilla as well as the paté a bomb variety. It's just so yummy!

Tahitian vanilla bean and raspberry macarons

Tahitian vanilla bean and raspberry macaron innard. For this flavor, I use a lighter meringue-based buttercream to bring out more of the raspberry flavor


Clockwise from left: pistachio rose, hibiscus, vanilla bean raspberry x2, vanilla bean


Raspberry, honey lavender, pistachio rose and hazelnut brown butter macarons for Hena's wedding*


Pretty as a picture*


*Wedding images taken from Hena's FB profile. Congratulations Hena + Mara!


Pistachio rose + passion fruit chocolate macarons

Macarune's recent event

...was SUPER fun!




I just loooooved baking batches of classic macarons (pistachio rose anyone?) and experimenting with new flavors. This time around, the latter include:

1. Hazelnut brown butter: toasty hazelnut macarons with browned butter buttercream and a sprinkling of hazelnut pralines. Decorated with feuilletine
   
2. Fruity tea: tea infused macarons with dried raspberry topping
   
3. & a surprise flavor: vanilla bean macarons with citrus buttercream and "surprise" fruit gelée center. Decorated with a dash of sprinkles

There was just enough time left to whip up some mini cupcakes for guests

Thanks to all the Macarune fans who made it! And for the bf for helping out with the baking :)

More photos on FB>

You say Melaka, I say Malacca

...courtesy of the bf




This past weekend, the bf and I drove up to Malacca. It was the perfect journey accompanied by a perfect soundtrack cleverly titled "You say Melaka, I say Malacca," hence this post's title.

Upon arrival at the hotel, we hung around the lobby waiting for our room to be ready. While we were flipping through magazines, a Japanese staff member greeted us with great enthusiasm for about 20 long seconds, in Japanese! As I suppressed my giggles, the bf simply said, "We're not Japanese." That minor incident left me tickled, though we couldn't help but feel sorry for the confused man who was later teased by his colleagues.

My mom, aunt and sisters dropped by to say hello and to share a cuppa or two. We had lunch at Nancy's Kitchen where a large cockroach greeted us before it met its demise and a very large Nancy didn't, greet us that is. *Sob. The latter disappointed my little sister who spent half her time guessing if Nancy really was Nancy, and mustered up the courage to say hello only to be somewhat "snorted at." So much for Nancy's cozy little kitchen.

We were so excited for nyonya food but were let down by excessively sweet kuihs and uninspiring dishes. Though we couldn't get enough of Jonker88's cendol and Chung Wah's chicken. Super yum! The rest of the weekend was spent swimming in the hotel pool and soaking in sea salt baths. Why can't all weekends be this long and lovely?

Our room at the Majestic Malacca

Old-fashioned floral tiles and cookie jars. Way to reach a girl's heart :)


Afternoon tea with the ladies


Cendol at Jonker88. Gula melaka is delicious! Great reco Shuqs!


All that yumminess triggered a Macarune idea


Chicken rice balls at Chung Wah


Packing up and ready to hit the road


Toodle-oo Malacca!

More photos to come. It's been one looooooong day and I'm just glad it's over.

Another inch caused no harm

Homemade strawberry shortcake, redefining lazy Saturdays

Guess what made its way here this weekend?

The Alexa Mulberry bag in oak! Finally, something perfect for work and just fun enough to mix-and-match with spring's floral gear

I've been waiting for the Mulberry store to call me back about the over-sized version since I was there in Jan. But last I checked, the bag sold out all over Europe causing Singapore to be on the "country waiting list." The one you see above is slightly smaller, which although nice, is hardly practical for work

Through much collaboration with Suen, YC and Megan, this one made its way to Singapore shores from Hong Kong. Thanks guys! :)

An ad hoc meal

Lately I've been working notably long hours. Project launch after launch has kept my team up for hours at an end, programming, testing, tweaking, designing and pausing only ever so often to hyperventilate. Not surprisingly, the weekends involve unglamorous moments huddling with coworkers hunched over laptops and discussing quotes during cigarette breaks.

Ahh... The lovely world of advertising =.=

That's really what got me planning a home-cooked meal for Sunday. It was my only attempt to 'comfort the soul.' And what's more comforting than fried chicken with good ol-fashioned sides like creamed corn and chilled coleslaw I ask you? Very few things.

While there may seem to be an element of Southern-ness to this meal, it wasn't the original intention. I was mostly inspired by the ad hoc fried chicken kit we got from Williams-Sonoma during our last trip to the States and my new ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BOOK, Thomas Keller's ad hoc At Home.

The book's super fun with handy tips and tricks from the chef. And because I've never been to The French Laundry or Per Se, this was my first real experience with Thomas Keller. I love every part of it from the chalked writings to the simple recipes. It's so down-to-earth!


Though disappointingly so, everyone agreed that the fried chicken was underwhelming. I'm not sure if it's because the brine and coating kit was a little old (we got it last Aug?) or if it's because we're just so used to tasty local fried delicacies that are often flavorful and heavily spiced.

The creamed corn was good with a refreshing kick from lime and cayenne, and the biscuits were buttery, though nicer served warm. Everyone commented that the coleslaw was a little too tangy but I liked the simplicity of it. Plus you're hearing this from a girl who eats lemons. Raw


Regardless, everyone had a great time cooking and eating :)


The part of the meal that excited me the most was Deb at Smitten Kitchen's St Louis gooey butter cake. The cake was as the name suggests, gooey, buttery, and super yummy! I love how it's part bread and part cake

Nothing like a beer to wash it all down. Monday, here I come!

More photos on FB>

Sage, Sage, Sage. Where do I begin?

Upon entering the premises, we were hit by the staleness in the air.

What’s that smell? Is it coming from the walls? Cramped dining interior? Damp air? The food??! I hope not. Part wet dog and plastic, I can’t put my finger to it. Whatever. Let’s just hold our breaths and order. Urp.

Then came the question, “Sparkling or still?”

“Tap please.”

“Sure ma’am. No problem.”

Score 1 for the quick and correct answer. And strike 1 for calling me ma’am. Lol! I kid.

The service was attentive. So overall, there are really no complaints there. It’s possible, I might’ve sensed a slight air of haughtiness from the main server but then decided to let it slide when she mispronounced amuse bouche. Guess you’re more nervous and new than you are smug.

We ordered the full degustation course to share, and the winter truffle and celeriac soup because I was craving something comforting.

First came the amuse bouche, a shotglass of watercress soup with lemon cream and caviar. Cold, buttery, rich and somewhat starchy. Nothing spectacular. There were no expectations, and therefore no disappointment to follow. It tasted kinda like the spinach soup I make at home, though mine is usually served warm in big bowls with a side of country bread.

Then came the salad. Whatever it was, it was clearly unforgettable because of the rancidness of the dish. Yes. I said it. Rancid. In an acclaimed restaurant. The baked strips of root vegetable just didn’t go with the random sprinkling of walnuts and grassy greens. Ech! And the rancidness! I couldn’t get over it. Like the smell of the place, it just wouldn't go away! Was it the nuts? Or the oil used for the vinaigrette? We couldn’t tell. But it left a bitter taste in our mouths and we decided to stop eating halfway. Yuck.

Along came the side order of soup with consommé. Ahh… Nice and hearty, with just enough truffle. Not bad.

Shortly after the seared Hokkaido scallop floating in green mouselline arrived at our table. Ok. I hate to use the same negative adjective over and over again, but this was NOT phenomenal. The bf commented that it was overcooked and yet not seared enough on the outside. Agreed. I feel like I’ve had better scallops at Hokkaido, or California for that matter.

Next please!

The quail came, and was probably the teeniest bird I’ve ever seen in my life. And yet again, I kid you not, it was floating in some kind of sauce. Where’s the creativity people???! *Yawn. The bird was nice and gamey though the chef must've been heavy with the salt rendering it difficult to eat after few bites. Strike 2.

The foie gras was served and I thought, "This is the defining moment." Being quick to adopt liver of all kinds, I let my guard down. The crumble was a nice departure from the usual brioche or toasts, so score 1 for creativity. While this was likely one of the better dishes at Sage, and I bet the chef knows it, it was still veiny and overly salty. Just a little less salt would’ve made ALL the difference. And I can't for the life of me understand how any dining establishment could get this wrong. Gotta love the generous portion, though a little more crumble wouldn't hurt.

Following that, I vaguely remember fish that came in a pale pool of sauce (again??!) and venison.

Course after course of forgettable dishes the bf started getting restless, and was already drumming his fingers. Mind you, we weren’t rushing off anywhere. He just “couldn’t take it anymore.”

So when the final dish came, we were somewhat relieved to be done with the whole ordeal, though it wasn't to end on a good note. Upon taking a bite of the porcini mushrooms that came with the veal, the bf lost his patience (and certainly manners along the way) and exclaimed, “these mushrooms taste like a cow’s anus!!!”

We paused for a split second, then burst into peals of laughter. What a pathetic dining experience!

When the blueberry chocolate dessert was placed before our eyes, we grudgingly reached for it with our forks. "How bad could chocolate be after all?" I said optimistically though I’ve never really explored the possibility of the chocolate and blueberry combo. Do these two even go well together? Right as I was, the mildness of blueberries was masked by the chocolate, which wasn’t even rich to begin with. Manjari huh? And the creme anglaise it was floating on (yes, I kid you not) left a film on the roof of your mouth.

There you go. Dinner at Sage? No deal.

I'm not an expert food reviewer by any means, but I feel like people should know what they're in for when they decide to spend decent money for a meal. How this place got an 8 in HungryGoWhere really makes me question the community’s palate.

All cookie'd out

...or not?

I just came back from a cookie sampling with the bf's fam at the Cookie Museum. After 10 or so thumbnail-sized bites, everything began to taste the same. Powdery and dry. Though that didn't stop us from fussing over the $38 tubs of cookies - Nasi Lemak, Berry Lite, Rose Madeleine, Ong Lai, Baba-something-or-rather - it's easy to get all cookie'd out in one night!

Even so, nothing's gonna stop me from posting these lavender tuiles I attempted over the weekend.

Paper thin lavender tuiles

with a light floral scent

Happy Holidays!

.

Dorie's World Peace cookies

Martha's Earl Grey tea cookies

Macarune hazelnut (noisette) macaron with coffee buttercream


Check out the bf's massive teeth mark

Here's wishing you a sweet Christmas!

The sweetest thing

The running joke for most Americans about going home during the holidays often involves dread and Everybody Loves Raymond type scenarios. While that may be true, and sadly inevitable sometimes, it is oh so rewarding when you experience the contrary.

This time around, I was reminded how much I miss being around my super sisters. Mom and dad were traveling in Eastern Europe, leaving 3 of 4 mischievous girls behind. So to complete the mix, Chris and I made a trip back to "babysit." Though really, we were the ones who needed babysitting - lol.

Can you believe being surrounded by 4 giggly girls for a whole weekend? And would you believe I have 3 sisters??! Kinda explains a lot doesn't it? :)

Here are a few photos of the weekend. Because I'm still trying to figure out how to upload photos from our new cam without them appearing pixilated help! see the rest on FB.

Chris trying his first toasted chicken floss and jerky sandwich lined with cool cucumbers and ketchup. You're Malaysian now love!

Little sis with Lola

Lola bola!!!

Shin's astronaut from a Cranium Cloodle

Our first time at Kayu

Little sis eating cheesecake with her fingers. And littlest sis squealing at the grossness of it all

At KTZ for supper (that was before wai sek kai and Sun Hin Loong)

Messing around with the little sis before dimsum at Grand Imperial

Chris telling a poo story before dinner. I kid you not

Quiet moments

How we spent most of our time

I miss you girls sooo much - XOXO