Cookery Connection by Carousel

Every month, Carousel - a restaurant that's part of the Royal Plaza on Scotts Hotel, organizes a cooking presentation event called Cookery Connection. The restaurant's chefs take turns to demonstrate the preparation of dishes using recipes compiled in a book titled "Carousel"; presumably these dishes are served in the restaurant as well. I attended this month's event, a showcase of "4 course Western Set" and the preparation of these four dishes were demonstrated:

Cured Atlantic Salmon

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Butter Glazed Cod Fish

Poached Pear in Raspberry


My gf, Mong and I arrived at one of the hotel's meeting rooms where the cooking demo was conducted. We were greeted with a goody bag containing a free flat egg whisk (sponsored by ScanPan), before we entered the meeting room. I was surprised at the high number of attendance, there must've been around 50 people or so. The meeting room was set up with a cooking station towards the front, flanked by a pair of projector screens. This was quite a big production!


Cured Atlantic Salmon
We arrived a tad late so we caught the tail end of Chef Daniel's preparation of this dish. Fortunately, every attendant was given a copy of the recipe for all the dishes prepared in this event, beautifully printed in color on heavy cardstock. The above photo is the sampling portion of the dish. The Cured Salmon was served with Apple-Shallot topping and a side of Horseradish-Sour Cream sauce.


Cream of Mushroom Soup
This tasted quite nice, very earthy and wholesome. Simple ingredients were used and the method was also fairly simple.


Butter Glazed Cod Fish
Served with Curry Coconut Cream Sauce and topped with Tomato Relish (ie. Salsa).


Butter Glazed Cod Fish - Sampler
Tasty! I like the curry sauce, which went very well with the cod.


Poached Pear in Raspberry
This was delicious, as Chef Daniel poached the pear in a concoction of Raspberry and Cassis Purees, seasoned with Cinnamon and Star Anise. It was then served with a dollop of Mascarpone Whipped Cream. Yumminess!


Poached Pear in Raspberry - Sampler
I really like the syrup. While the recipe for the Mascarpone Cream didn't call for sugar, I think it'd taste better sweet.


There was a lucky draw giveaway freebie of a ScanPan pan, but no... neither of us won it. :\


All in all, I had an enjoyable time although I'd much prefer a smaller, more intimate group and more food consumption. It cost SG$70 to attend the event so naturally I had expected to be fed during the demonstration, but the itsy bitsy sampling portions just did not cut it.

Nonetheless, there's always a new thing or two to learn from watching these cooking demonstrations. On this day, I learned how to debone and butterfly a whole fish! Now that's something you need to watch and learn in real life.

The Cookery Connection schedule for the rest of the year:

20 Mar - Thai Cuisine

17 Apr - Italian Cuisine

15 May - Japanese Cuisine

19 Jun - Peranakan Cuisine

24 Jul - Sweet Temptation

21 Aug - Malay Cuisine

18 Sep - French Cuisine

23 Oct - Tea Time Snack

20 Nov - Festive Treats

Personally I don't think I am going to attend anymore of these. However, I am interested in getting the recipe book published by Carousel, because the western dishes have an Asian twist in them and I think it'll be fun to whip up some fusion flavours in the kitchen.

Au Petit Salut - Cooking Demo Class

I was invited to attend a cooking session at Au Petit Salut yesterday, and it was conducted in the private dining section on the second floor (Dempsey location). Before I go on any further, let me explain that in this cooking class, students were not hands-on participants and it was more a cooking demonstration by the chef, where he explained the cooking procedure and shared tips during the process.


The kitchen set-up was a stand-alone island equipped with two conduction stovetops and students were seated on bar stools around this island. This set-up kinda reminded me of Mario Batali's earlier tv show, in which he'd cook, explain what he was doing, and then serve the completed dishes right away to his invited guests who'd be sitting around the kitchen island. I'd always imagined these guests salivating from seeing the food prep up-close and intoxicated by the delicious smells in the kitchen. Who wouldn't be?

Chef Karl, who helms the Private Dining section of the restaurant, was demonstrating a 4-course meal on this day. The menu was selected based on the most popular dishes served by the restaurant.

Lobster Bisque

Smoked Salmon with Daikon and Wasabi Dressing

Roasted Black Angus Beef with Truffle Mash and Shallots Glaze

Passion Fruit Souffle

It was my first time at Au Petit Salut and I was told that it's one of the prestigious French restaurants in town, so I knew I was in for a treat. *rubbing palms in excitement*


Lobster Bisque

A quick abridged version of the recipe: Start by first roasting lobster heads and shells to the point of caramelization. They were then sauteed in olive oil and flambeed in cognac. In an separate heavy-based pot, vegetables, tomato paste, fresh herbs were sauteed before the lobster heads were added back in, then deglazed with white wine and stock. Boil over medium heat, add cream, reduce broth to a creamy consistency then blend. (This is where an immersion blender will come in handy!) Lastly, strain the broth and add a dab of whipped cream on top before serving, if desired.


Smoked Salmon with Daikon and Wasabi Dressing

I'm generally not a fan of salmon but this turned out to be my favourite dish from the session. The salmon was semi-cooked from the smoking, which yielded a nice texture. Moist inside and out, without any fishy smell and the bite was soft and buttery. The delicious dressing also rounded out all the flavours nicely.


Seeing the method of smoking in a kitchen was a first for me, and it was surprisingly easy to put together! Basically, line the bottom of a deep pot (or wok) with aluminium foil, then place a wire rack over a pair of round cookie-cutter moulds (to prop up the wire rack and create a height of 4-5cm from the base of the pot). The smoking itself comes from burning rice grains, brown sugar and fresh herbs, via a stovetop open flame. Definitely can be done in a home kitchen.


Chef Karl and his kitchen assistant, Jason, plating the salmon dish. Here you can see the salmon pieces sitting over a wire rack inside the pot, setup just like my illustration above. Chef Karl emphasized that only the freshest salmon must be used; fillets pre-cut and packaged at generic supermarkets or fishmongers aren't good enough, gotta be sashimi-grade. Oh, the one tip he shared which I found to be interesting was the handling of salmon. He said do not wash salmon, because that will wash away the protein layer which keeps the salmon flavourful and juicy. Wipe using paper towels instead. Hmmm...


Roasted Black Angus Beef with Truffle Mash and Shallots Glaze

These were sliced off a 4" thick piece of Rib Eye. Chef Karl instructed that prior to the prerequisite searing of the meat, it should be seasoned with pepper only and hold off on the salt until the last minute before you put the steak into the oven. If I remember and heard correctly, the reason for this is to prevent the meat from sweating while being seared and resulting in a not-so-crispy crust on the steak.


The truffle mash potatoes which accompanied the steak were done via mashing boiled potatoes with a spoon over a fine-mesh strainer. This yielded very fine rice-like potato bits, which when whisked with cream and butter, became really smooth and creamy. Frankly it was way too creamy for me because personally I prefer a very chunky texture to my mash potatoes (especially versions with visible potato skin bits).


Passion Fruit Souffle
Served with Apple Mint Sorbet and Raspberry Coulis.


These souffles were kinda cute as they came out of the oven all wobbly.


Fresh passion fruit was used to flavour this souffle, and I found it to be really nice and refreshing. Not too tart. The texture of this souffle was extremely light and fluffy! I'm definitely gonna try making this when I host a small dinner party next time.


Here's Chef Karl and me. I asked him whether he has a preference between conduction stovetop or gas stovetop and he revealed that he uses a gas stovetop in his house; not because he prefers it but because his maid can only use a gas stovetop. It's kinda funny and I am amused that this chef leaves the cooking at home to his maid. :p But I suppose after cooking and serving food to customers day-in, day-out on the job everyday, when it's time to go home and recharge, it's best to let someone else make food for you.


I must say, I like the idea of a private dining space with an adjoining open kitchen, where you can see a chef preparing and cooking food exclusively just for your party. Awesome for special occasions, and the interactivity factor of asking questions about certain ingredients used, or how to go about a particular method, is a nice option.

Rider's Cafe

Brunch at Rider's Cafe! It's a cafe situated by this area called Turf City, where there are horse stables (I think... but hey, what do I know? I'm just a tourist!). The ambiance is generally quite pleasant. Being in an al fresco setting, surrounded by lush greens is always relaxing and enjoyable.


Interior: Al fresco, old-time colonial style.


Interior: Pretty roomy, with ample standing room area by the bar.


I spotted something that totally jumped out at me on the menu: Pancakes!!! As you know, I've been craving it for several weeks now.


The Afternoon Tea offerings look so appetizing too. I'd love to go back for some tea and read a book while nibbling on Citrus Prawn Skewers. MmMmMmmmmMmmmmm..... :9


My pancakes! They were light, fluffy and just the right amount (although I didn't quite finish it all; trying to curb my food intake - ahem). Definitely did not disappoint and it totally hit the spot for me.


Behind me is where the horses hang out. The air in this place is sorta reminiscent of Central Park and 60th Street corner... You gotta kinda block out the poo smell mentally.


Spotted this silver beauty with blonde hair. What a stunning horse!

Oscar's

It's been somewhat quiet in the beginning of this week post-CNY, as most people in Singapore were still in holiday mode and stayed in. I went to Oscar's at Contrad Centennial Hotel for brunch, as I was in the area to check out some folding bikes at Carrefour (I ended up not buying any). It was my first time in that area, called Millenia Walk and initially was going for the brunch buffet offered at Oscar's. But considering the CNY binge that had taken place a few days prior, I decided to to go with the ala carte menu and ordered a bowl of Laksa. I know, I know. I seriously was in the mood for some pancakes that day, but it wasn't on the menu so I went for something soupy and comforting instead.

The sunshine yellow everywhere was cheery.

Simple and sweet yellow Moccara orchids bud-vase arrangement.

Pussywillow arrrangements dotting the buffet counters. I love how the pussywillow buds have been spraypainted yellow, to match the overall ambiance and decor of the restaurant.

I see this everywhere, and only recently found out that it's referred to as "mystic knot".

Oscar's Burger with all the fixin's. HUGE!

Oscar's Nonya Laksa

About to dig in!

I was pleasantly surprised that the laksa tasted really yummy. The addition of shredded cucumber added a very nice crunch to the overall texture of the dish and gave an added dimension to the layers of flavours already present in the dish. This was quite a rich dish, served in a deep bowl and it was packed with large prawns, shredded chicken, several quail's eggs and slices of fishcake. Super filling! This was different than the version served at Katong Laksa 328; no cockles, no otahs. I thought Oscar's version tasted somewhat more sophisticated although the broth was kinda too heavy and creamy.

Hallelujaahhhhhhhhhhh!

*BEAMING FROM EAR TO EAR*

I picked up this huge heavy mutha-of-a-honkin' book over the weekend and I'm super duper excited to have it in my possession! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you:

The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion

So you think Moonberry doesn't read a bible? Oh yes, she does. ;)

Valentine's Day

Ahhh, Valentine's Day. Time for flowers, bonbons, romantic candlelit dinners, sweet desserts. I was just poking my nose around the internet, looking to see how much bouquets cost these days. Below are my picks for some pretty (and expensive*) bouquets for this occasion.

USD$333.00 from Far East Flora.

If you're traditional and really hope to make an impression, this bouquet of 99 red roses studded with shimmering pearls, encircling creamy white roses within ought to do the job. She'll get the message.

US$59.95 from Martha Stewart Flowers.

Who says V-day flowers should always be red? If you like simple and lovely, the pale pink Katharina roses from Martha Stewart are a good bet. They smell nice too, as all pink roses do.

US$125.00 from Prudence Designs.

If you're going for something more contemporary yet understated this year, this one's the way to go.

Check out this segment from NBC for some ideas too. Gorgeous arrangements from Flowers of The World. Bountiful and lush, the way every floral arrangement and bouquet should be!

I scooted over to check out the Flowers of The World website and look what I found!

US$350.00 from Flowers of The World.

OH YESSSSS!!! This arrangement has "moonberry" written on every frilly peony petal, considering my on-going love affair with peonies... }:) This I definitely like LOVE.

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* "Expensive" is, of course, a relative term. While some people instantly balk at the hefty price tags associated to some of these lovely blooms (trust me, I've heard my fair share of brides-to-be and their advisers commenting on what a waste it must be to waste money on something that's guaranteed to wilt), others find it totally justifiable to pay the price for a memorable special occasion (I've also been fortunate to have been engaged by clients that fall in this category as well).

Regardless of whether you decide to splurge on an extravagant bouquet or find it sufficient to give a one-stem item, I wish you a lovely Happy Valentine's Day. ^^ As for me, I think I'm going to have me a dinner and movie night. Then a lovely Sunday brunch at the Ritz-Carlton with mah single ladies. *woot*

招財進寶

Another Chinese New Year-related post.

We are all pretty familiar with 恭喜發財 Gong Xi Fa Cai/Gung Hey Fat Choy as the generic CNY greeting, right? During this time of the year, we see a lot of this and other common CNY greetings/good luck words (such as the word 褔 Fu which means prosperity) in the form of wall banners, greeting cards, stickers and motifs on red envelope designs. I'm sure you have seen this one below as well, but do you know how that word reads and what it means? Incidentally, this word does not exist in any Chinese dictionary.



It was explained to me not long ago that it is not an actual word, but a character made out of a combination of four separate words. A mash-up!!! :D I am highly amused at the cleverness. Some where in time, some genius out there somehow put these four words together to form one word, and of course, the new word oozes nothing but good luck, good fortune, lots of wealth etc. all the things which Chinese people love to hear during CNY. :p The four individual words that make up this character are: 招 (beckon), 財 (wealth), 進 (enter), and 寶 (treasure). The mash-up result is read as is. "招財進寶" Zhao Cai Jin Bao. If you look closely, you can begin to see the individual words in the character. Cool eh?

Now, according to this webpage which I'm loosely excerpting and paraphrasing in English here, the new mash-up character is also supposed to mimic the shape of a Pi Xiu. Kinda like a visual representation. It's explained that the 貔貅 Pi Xiu is a mythical animal that exists in Chinese mythology; made up of a dragon head, horse body, unicorn feet, long moustache and a pair of wings.

Pi Xius are powerful and auspicious creatures of good fortune, so there...

(I'm such a Chinese geek, heh!) :x

Chinese New Year 2010

This weekend marks Chinese New Year, an annual celebratory event based on the lunar calendar and we will be entering the Metal Tiger Year. (Read up more on the twelve Chinese zodiac signs here.) Personally I did not grow up celebrating this new year, being away from family most of the time and all, but undeniably the festivities are exciting and not unlike other major occasions, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, the arrays of good food are plentiful. I am also fascinated by the customary do's and dont's (which seem to vary by country/family traditions), although I don't observe them much (hard to keep track as there are so many of them). But hey, you don't turn away anything that has to do with good luck. Right?

This year I stumbled upon a really interesting item at the supermarket. It's a bottle gourd, aka "hu-lu". I have never seen a fresh hu-lu in real life before, even though I'm familiar with its unique hourglass shape. The earliest I've been introduced to a hu-lu may have been via watching an old Jackie Chan kungfu movie "Drunken Master". I may be wrong on the actual movie, but if memory serves correctly, those kungfu movies in the 70's featured many eccentric old sifus drinking liquor out of their hu-lus. Kinda like a personal old school alcohol flask. Hu-lu was also prominently featured as a medicine container, carried by white-haired medicine men in other Chinese martial arts movies.

Typically, it's good manners to present a couple of Mandarin oranges during Chinese New Year as a form of good luck. This year, as I'll be seeing my parents in between business trips, I decided to pick up a couple of hu-lus to give to them. I have no idea if this is a form of good luck or not, however I figured if the supermarkets are marketing these hu-lus as a seasonal item just for this special occasion, then it must be alright. Would be nice to display at their home, and probably I ought to research on a suitable recipe to supply to them as well, in the event they decide to cut up the hu-lus and cook them after the festivities are over.

Ready to ring in the new year?

This one's really lovely with the long stem.

Last but not least, Gung Hey Fat Choy!

Wishing you a roaring new year ahead. :)

Snowmageddon 2010

Woke up to a bright and sunny Sunday morning, proceeded to skim through world news on the net while munching on a couple of char siew baos. Read about the snowstorm that's hitting Washington DC via NYTimes and in awe at the beautiful images of our snow-blanketed capital. The white landscape is such a magical sight.

Source: New York Times

Source: New York Times

Source: New York Times

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Last spring, I went on a roadtrip to DC with some girlfriends to check out the cherry blossoms and had a lovely time. Good food, good company, good times. The current white blanket over the city is such a dramatic difference to the dreamy pink petals of cherry blossoms when I was there.

View my photo collection on Flickr.