Mel's top 10 favourite food

I am not a food gourmet nor connoisseur. But certainly, there are certain foods that i wont miss. Afterall, Singapore is a food paradise.

I have compiled for myself a list of my favourite food, in no particular order :

1. Nonya Dumpling : i like the unique combination of e sweetness of the ingredients and saltiness of the glutinous rice in one bite.

2. Mee Siam: the one and only spicy food that i cant go without. I seem to like sweet, sweet taste

3. Japanese Katsu Curry Udon: I love most japanese food esp the japanese curry, not so spicy. Just nice for me

4. Pumpkin rice : I dun like pumpkin, but i like the way my mother use it to cook with chicken, it just taste so nice. I always look forward to a big bowl of serving from my mother's own pumpkin rice

5. Quail Eggs : i love it when my dad cook it with the dark soya sauce. And it is bite size - i always lost count when i start eating them.

6. Rosti with Sausage: I love potatoe - potatoe salad, hash brown. But nothing can beat Rosti with Sausage - esp with sour cream and ketchep. A perfect combination

7. 韮菜糕: A lot of people dun like the taste of it. But being a true blue teochew, i just love it. Esp with a bit of sweet sauce. So teochew...hehehe...

8. Yam Paste: Another teochew signature dish - typical teochew dessert that i cannot give it a miss.

9. Cod Fish: this is the most tastiest fish i have ever eaten. Most importantly, not too much bones for someone lazy like me

10. Finally, Japanese Seaweed: good in all different way of servings - in soup, as toppings, as tibits, it can be how u want it to be

Wow...after going thro' the list...i certainly think i m so fortunate to be able to live in a food paradise....Thanks God

Mel's to-do-list

I have decided to make myself a to-do-list for my cooking report card by the end of this year. Please see below for my list

In no particular order :
1. Egg Tarts - this is my all time favourite. My favourite egg tarts is from Saint Honouries (can't remember the spelling now :P)
2. Ona-Ona & 绳儿糕
Both are the only receipes handed down by my late beloved grandma. No matter what, i am determined to make them for my mother by hook or by crook
3. Curry Puff - hopefully, i can make curry puff for this year ACF christmas bash.
4. Strawberry Shortcake - Still for the one i love :)
5. Mee Siam - I saw this from TV and it is my favourite food
6. Champagne Ribs - My colleague, How Siang, a food gourmet, taught me how to prepare the Ribs. I must master it and show him :)
7. Fish Ball Noodles - With thks to Cass whom cook this for me during our Tai Tai get together
8. Oven Baked Seabass - to make sure that i make full use of what i have learnt from Raffles Culinary Academy into practice
9. 药材鸡 - this is KW's favourite dish.
Last but not least,
10. Chilli Crabs - the only seafood dish that i like :)

Looks like i have to start cooking on every weekend from now. Any receipes that you would like to share with me to help me accomplish this :)

My trip to Penang

I was on short business trip to Penang. Penang is like my second home as I've been here for many, many times. I love this island for the beach, the shopping, the good food and also, it always remind me of my favourite uncle whom passed away some years ago.

This trip was certainly worth looking forward because i have pre-arranged to meet up with my two dear friends in Penang. I met up with Tracy and Eric on thurs evening for a nice and cosy dinner. This dinner was especially special to me because this is the first time i am meeting up with my dear sista's boyfriend. Eric is such a fabulous guy, very thoughful and easy to get along. I am certainly happy to entrust my beloved sista in christ, Tracy to his good hands. If Tracy and Eric happens to read this blog, i wanna to say thanks for the warm dinner you guys have hosted me in Penang. Hope to see you guys again in Penang :)

On friday, i have a special guest visting me in Penang for the first time. She is none other than my best friend, KL. After much consideration, she decided to join me for a short shopping spree in Penang. Was extremely happy to have her with me for company for the past two days. We had a lot of fun, shopping and great food. And we have already decided what we will be eating on our next trip to this lovely isle again. Penang, we be back :)

A day in my life as a Tai Tai - Part two

It was a groomy sat but it never dampen my spirit of meeting my cooking cum baking buddy - Cass for a warm and fun session of High Tea. Yes, we have been arranging for such a session for quite a while. Finally, we met up at Cass's place for a cosy cooking exchange programme. Too bad, Tracy (another of our cooking buddy) cannot join us.

I share my Tiramisu receipe, what else :) with Cass and Cass taught me how to do a nutella cup cake. It smells heavenly. Even Sam (Cass's dog) will agree. I really think Cass is such a great cook. She even cooks fish ball bee hoon noodle & Vietnamese Popiah for me for lunch. Such delicious luncheon, i will always remember her the next time i savour fish ball noodles again.

Thanks Cass for making my wish come true. It is a indeed a blessings from God to discover such a great cooking buddy and the fellowship/friendship we have developed over the months. Praise the Lord

Ching Ming & Me

It's ching Ming again. It had to be an annual routine for me to accompany my parents to visit and "sweep" the tomb of my late grandparents in JB. Besides paying respect to my late grandparents who dotes on me when i was younger, i always looking forward to having authetic teochew cuisine host by my auntie in JB (she is my dad's eldest sis-in-law). It is a pity that the cuisine was not passed down the generation, esp my generation. Hopefully, by the next visit which will be next year, i could ask my aunt to demonstrate some simple teochew dish to me. My favorite Teochew cuisine in this order will be
1. 韮菜糕
2. Yam paste dessert
3. Tulip Bun
This year, my aunt has prepared handmade tulip bun for us and it was yummy. How i wish i could pick up some cuisine from her and learnt to be a True Blue Teochew Lady :)
Anyway...... so much so about Ching Ming and Teochew Cuisine....wondering what will my aunt prepared for us in our next visit......