TVaddictlovesfood

Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival which marks not only the end of the autumn harvest, but is also supposed to occur during full moon. However, contrary to popular belief, the Festival doesn’t always fall on that exact day (or moon). The date of the festival is always the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Although there isn’t always a full moon, there will be one within two days of the festival.

"Moon Cakes" by misbehave - Moon CakesUploaded by Atlaslin. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moon_Cakes.jpg#/media/File:Moon_Cakes.jpg

A couple of months ago, we visited our friends in Madrid. One night, our friend made us a quick snack of artichoke dip. It was amazing and it seemed really easy. So I decided to experiment. I found a couple of recipes online, but most of them have lots of cheese, require baking, or have tonnes of calories. I managed to make one equally yummy but healthier. So this is my version of artichoke and spinach dip. This recipe yields enough dip for 20 people.

Ingredients

1/2	red onion
1	garlic clove
1	400g can of artichoke hearts (when drained it should give you about 240g)
60g	baby spinach leaves
40g	grated matured hard cheese such as Chedder, Parmesan or Gouda
70g	mayonnaise
	salt and pepper to taste

Method:

I am in love with documentaries, especially those about food (surprise). I don't know if it has anything to do with age, but I am getting tired of the usual Hollywood trash. A documentary, however, is something that gives you just enough to inspire you to go off and read more about it.

So here are my top picks in random order:

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (film)

Along the same lines as Food Inc but less grotesque, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead highlights the adventure of one Aussie who went on an all juice diet and went to the USA to convince others to do so. It was quite inspiring and got me to drink juice for a short period of time.
Available on Netflix and via their website.

Back in Time For Dinner (series)

This is a six part BBC series featuring a British family who travelled back in time from post-war to current day, living the lifestyle of a typical family of the time. Every episode shows a new decade where their home, clothes and the food they cooked are transformed to match as close as possible those times. It made me realise that appliances such as refrigerators and freezers were not so long ago a luxury.

Unfortunately, it is not longer available on BBC iPlayer. However I believe you can find it on YouTube.

Chef's Table (series)

Surprisingly, Netflix's house production is pretty good. This is an example. Chef's Table is also a six part series where each episode profiles a world-renowned chef. The episodes tells their stories and their manifesto. The cinematography alone leaves you mouth watering.

The Search for General Tso (film)

This one is hilarious. There were many moments in the documentary they went a little off piste with the storyline but it did succeed in tracking the history of the dish General Tso that you so often find on American Chinese menus. The official website also gives you the recipe.

I love the title as it reminds me of those dishes so famous in other countries and yet doesn't exists in their own roots e.g. Singapore fried noodles or Chinese tomato soup

The film is available on Netflix.

This weekend, C and I went to Milan for the Expo 2015. If you don't know what it is, you are not the only one. If it wasn't for  C's Milan colleagues who told us about it 6 months ago, we would be equally ignorant about it.

The Expo is a 6 months long grand fair with more than 140 participating countries According to the official website, each country has been asked to examine their role and relationship with preserving a healthy, safe and sufficient food source for everyone, while respecting the Planet and its equilibrium. We went not knowing what to expect but hoping to get inspired on what we can do as individuals.

The exhibition was massive. The area spans about what feels like 100 acres and each booth or pavilion is about the size of a football field. So walking from one end to other without stopping takes about 45 mins.  The booth structures were reflective of the cultures of the countries. A giant woven basket for Qatar, a mosque like house for Turkmenistan. You get the picture.

Turkmenistan's pavilion

Turkey's pavilion

There were long queues at every pavilion to enter and visit. I guess I should have read that part on the website about "welcoming over 20 million visitors." There was even an announcement for Japan's exhibit that the queue would take 5 hours. At the end of the day, I only managed to visit Turkmenistan, Istanbul, Romania (we had to), Moldova, Italy and the countries within the fruits and legume cluster and coffee cluster. Although, once you manage to enter a pavilion, you will view a show case the country's culture. For instance, there was a giant carpet in Turkmenistan (they are famous for woven carpets).

Coffee tasting at the Ethiopian pavilion

Degustation at the Citterio Academia

At the end of the day, as we joined the queue to get home, I wondered how close the countries kept to the theme. Apart from Slow Food, I didn't get a sense from the organisers or from the pavilions that the theme of sustainability was considered at all. To highlight this, I could find only two obvious water points to fill up my bottle and there was a queue at both. The amount of plastic I alone produced because I had to purchase bottles of mineral water is uncalled for.

On the upside, I got to know the cultures of some countries I have never even heard of. The fruit and legume cluster for instance gave a chance to countries such as Benin to make a appearance. Also, without taking an entire year off to explore Italy, this is probably the only time to experience the best of Italian food in a one place, if you can stomach all of the food. Eataly, one of the largest pavilions, brought several a pop up restaurants from every region of Italy, exploring the biodiversity of tradition and culture through food.

Was there an exchange of ideas between countries on how to create enough food to feed our future? Or is this just a lavish way to boost tourism? I am left wondering.

The Expo ends on 31 Oct. So if you are in the area, do find a day to go, maybe not on a weekend.

It has been a while since my last post and I have no excuse. My only defence is my new found inspiration from my trip home to Singapore.

While I love my cappuccino, I do enjoy the local coffee shop coffee at a quarter of the price. Firstly, there are a few things one needs to understand. There are no cows in the country and therefore milk is imported and fresh milk is not really fresh. So the replacement is either evaporated milk or condensed milk. Also, by default drinks come with sugar.

So to make an order, you have to do math. You take the most basic word Kopi and add words to it to say what you want:
Kopi:         condensed milk + sugar
+ Kosong: no sugar

If you get lost, here's an info graph:

If you navigate from left to right, top to bottom, the sweetness of the drink increases. If you replace Kopi with Teh, you can the an assortment of tea drinks.


It took me a while to create this but it has been quite satisfying. Enjoy.

I finally watched the movie The Hundred Foot Journey. I didn't think it was that good. I thought the father of the main character was hilarious though. Towards the end of the movie, the plot or rather lack of one was very predictable where the famous chef returns home to his lover and family with the goal get the two star Michellin restaurant to three stars. Some people can't stay contented with what they've got...

Oops did I spoil the movie for those who haven't watched it? Sorry.

Anyway the point I wanted to bring about is that for people like the chef, or me or those who no longer live at home, I think food plays a bigger role than just sustenance or pleasure. When you taste something that reminds you of home, the emotions can overwhelm you. It is no longer about how well the plate is presented or how balance the tastes is.

Yet in today's competitive world, restaurants are fighting for the best in innovation. Is there still room for our childhood favorites in this race? On another hand, being stubborn doesn't encourage progress. I love the conversation between Madam Mallory (Helen Mirren) & Hassam (Manish Dayal) in the movie that goes:

Helen Mirren: Why change a recipe that is works for 200 years?
Hassam: Maybe because sometimes 200 years is long enough?

So where does the balance lies?

Despite my love for fresh home-cooked meals, I must admit that instant noodles have a small place in my pantry. It is quite a guilty pleasure. Almost like chocolates. All the various Es' and chemicals in one packet that satisfies that midnight crave in ten minutes.

I haven't tried them all which explains why I still have most of my hair (there is a myth that eating too much instant noodles will give you cancer and makes you lose your hair). But I do like a couple:

1) Prima Taste Singapore Curry Noodles
The portion is very generous. You can easily share a packet with a friend. It does take more than 10 minutes to cook but when done well, it is almost the real deal. What I love most about it is that the manufacturer finally understood that pots are not square. Their dried noodles are shaped into a round patty instead of a square patty and it fits easily into a pot without having to crack it into pieces. So your noodles remain in long strands. How clever!

Photo sourced from foodology.ca

2) Indomie Mee Goreng
This is my all time favorite. I remembered my dad used to bring home cartons from Indonesia when he was working there. These days they have many variations of it: extra spicy, chicken flavor, rendang flavor etc. I like the original.

Photo sourced from Amazon

3) Nissin Cup Noodle
I ate too many of them during my university years. Just add hot water and you are done! My favorite is the chicken flavor. It comes with dehydrated corn and spring onions, adding some luxury to the otherwise unhealthy and boring cup of soup noodles.

Photo sourced from Google

4) Myojo Mee
Anyone who grew up in Singapore in the 80s would remember their advertisement and jingle. I honestly don't remember how they taste. I just love their marketing campaign.

Anyway to round off this post, while googling for the various images off the internet, I found out that there is a blog (www.theramenrater.com) that reviews instant noodles all around the world! I wonder if the reviewers still have a full head of hair. Nevertheless I am proud that Prima Taste is in the top 10!

C was romantic this February and bought a voucher for us to experience the making of artisan pasta and sauce making in a 3 hour workshop. So after a one hour journey to Woolwich (we thought that the workshop would be in Central London), we arrived at Casa Grande.

Spinach tagliatelle

The workshop is run by Tatiana, the artiste. Although she is not Italian, her roots are. Brought up on traditional pasta made and cooked by her grandma, she was unhappy at the quality of pasta in the UK. She found it strange that UK, despite producing their own eggs and flour, imports tons of dried pasta from Italy. She aims to make the best dried home made pasta from her studio using only organic, locally sourced ingredients.

During the workshop, she explains how the pasta is the made and dried naturally. She then demonstrates a few traditional recipes using the fresh pasta that was just made and we got to taste them with wine.

Her products feature different types of flour from strong flour to spelt and buckwheat. She also mixes in beetroot or spinach for added flavor, and with a simple sauce such as carbonara, that certainly brings color to the plate.

She was definitely a fan of technology and the pasta machine is equipped with a bronze die. This allows the pasta to be more porous than the regular commercial brands; hence when cooked, the pasta will absorb the sauce much more to create a homogenous flavor.

It was a truly an enjoyable morning, and I have learned so much more about pasta than in my three hour practical in school. I am inspired to try my hand at making my own pasta again. Until then, I have some naturally dried pasta that is non chemically processed to enjoy.

To order your own homemade artisan pasta or to find out more about the workshop, please visit her website.

Pasta drying naturally

I just had my second cheese lecture at school and I enjoyed it as much as the first and probably even more, not having to attend it after a disastrous attempt at quiche this time.

Tom Badcock, the cheese specialist from The Cheese Cellar is an entertainer. He speaks about cheese with such passion and humor that you makes you stay at the edge of your seat for 3 hours.

The lecture  follows the history of cheese making from it's beginnings to  how different regions in Europe have developed their local flavors and techniques. The story is accompanied by the tasting of various cheeses from soft to hard, mild to strong. While he is going on about the great cheeses of Europe, he even attempts to make some. At the end of the lecture you will see cheese in a different light.

The Cheese Cellar mainly supplies to restaurants throughout the UK, but they also conduct similar cheese tastings and lectures. If you love cheese or would like to know more about it, why not get a group of friends or colleagues together and organise a cheese evening?

Remember to ask for Tom. Without him, it wouldn't be the same.

I was shopping for a new hand blender and I find myself in a sea of same-ness if that is even a word. I got quite upset with the whole process and I just need it get it off my chest.

Just make it work and last
I used to have a Philips blender. The glass jar had a screw-on plastic base ring that also locks into the heavy motor base. After blending, the jar doesn't unlock from the motor base, unless I screw the glass jar out of the plastic ring, resulting in a complete mess over my kitchen counter. I had the blender for only a year using it perhaps a total of 5 times before the problem started to occur.

So Christmas is around the corner and you dread getting presents you don't want, especially from relatives or friends who don't know you well enough. Luckily for us, we have gone past this and tell our parents and friends what we like. Some might think that this misses the point. I don't agree. I am always much happier to get what I want and the giver is still happy as they are feel like they have given us something that we appreciate.

However if you would like to surprise your love ones who is a foodie with presents this holiday, here are some items you can consider.

1) Cold Press Juicer
This is one of those items that I would never have bought for myself. It is significantly more expensive compared to other juicers, and I wondered if I was going to use it enough to justify the cost. Once you have it, however, you will never buy another bottled juice from the supermarket again. This new technology of juicing retains more nutrients than the traditional centrifugal types. The pulp is collected via an outlet while the juicing happens, making it also easier to clean. For more details on the health benefits of a cold press juicer, you can read it here.

There are many brands out there offering this technology with its growing popularity. Find one that fits the size and budget.

2) Pans that can be used with almost any heat source
Our new place has an induction stove top. However, the pans that C & I both brought to our relationship were not induction ready. Also, they have plastic handles so I can't use them in the oven. I took the opportunity to splurge on a set of Le Creuset aluminum core series but they are worth it. Searing a filet mignon on the stove and straight into the oven to finish off to medium is much simpler now, saving me on the hassle to transfer it to a baking tray. You could probably find something less expensive but it is good to get something that you know can be used with almost any heat source.


3) Joseph Joseph set of chopping boards
After my culinary course, I now understand the importance of cross contamination. Most people get food poisoning from home cooking without even realizing. How often have you chopped your veg and use the same chopping board to dice up your chicken without giving it a good wash. Well, luckily for us, Joseph Joseph has come up with a stack of chopping board with clear labels for the home chefs to use without consuming too much space. With anti-slip rubber corners, it also prevents the board from moving about when chopping. The only downside is that it is just a little too small. So if anyone from Joseph Joseph is reading my blog, please make a bigger version.

http://www.josephjoseph.com/product/index-chopping-boards



4) A pair of kitchen scissors that comes apart
Something that every avid home chef should own is a good set of knives. However the tool which often gets forgotten is the scissors. Prior to my culinary course, I never gave much thought to scissors. A good pair of scissors can help you cut off fat from bones to render. What annoys me is that scissors are difficult to clean. As part of my school kit, there was a pair of Wusthof scissors. It's everything you expect a scissors to be and it comes apart for easy washing. There are no screws whatsoever. Just a really simple design that clicks into place once you are done cleaning and drying.


5) An experience gift
If they have it all, why not give them an experience gift such as learning to cook a new cuisine. There are many culinary schools that offers short classes in various types of cuisine. Anything from a day to five days, you would be able to find classes for thai, indian, traditional french or italian cuisine. Of course if you wish to splurge, you can always send them to the country to learn from the masters and have a little holiday while they are there.

So Christmas is approaching soon. I am off to do some shopping of my own.

Images from JosephJoseph and Amazon

I realised that my last post was in May! Time really flies when you are busy. For some of you who don't know, C & I moved to London in September. We were busy getting ready for the move from June onwards. Since then I enrolled in culinary school and have been cooking up a stir in the kitchen. Well, at least I would like to think that I have been.

Being halfway through the semester, I am not sure if standing 15 hours in kitchen is the kind of career I am pursuing. I am at a dilemma right now. However I did take out some invaluable lessons:

1. I will look at a hot plate of food with a deeper level of appreciation. It is very much like what you see on Masterchef. The pressure to get everything right at the very last minute is much bigger than I ever thought it will be. Rightfully so as customers will not be happy if their food arrive cold or on a dirty plate.
2. I will appreciate every julienned or evenly diced vegetables in future.
3. Cooking does require a great deal of common sense. Switch off your brain for one minute and you could burn your onions.
4. Hence, in my opinion, the kitchen is probably one of the most dangerous place to be.
5. Nevertheless, when my food is good, the person getting the bigger satisfaction is me, not the person eating it.

Good night for now. I am exhausted.

So we had another successful edition of 'Taste of Amsterdam' - a local outdoor food fair where you get to sample various signature dish from high end restaurants in Amsterdam. Like every year, it is held in the Amstel Park and this year, we were lucky. The Sun God had shined his rays over The Netherlands, making this weekend a really nice day to be sitting outdoors, sipping champagne and general in a mood to spend money.

I think this is also a great initiative to allow small food vendors to establish themselves. Amsterdam is starting to become an international hub for the modern European kitchen.

Yet I walked away from yesterday's event feeling very disturbed. At the central stage where workshops and demonstrations were organised, onions, tomatoes, potatoes and butternut squash were used as decorations, under the tables and on the floor. I wondered if they will collect the onions and tomatoes at the end of the fair and actually cook with it. Seeing the kids and other visitors stepping on food that is lying in the dirt is revolting. On one hand, the organisers have converted all the cutlery into bio-degradable material instead of using plastic, on the other hand, we are literally wasting food.


I started to wonder how much food we are actually wasting in our daily routine. When you order coffee in a cafe, they usually give you a packet of sugar. If you don't use it, do the waiters throw it away along with the other trash that you leave behind or do they recycle it? Every few weeks I buy a pack of mushrooms then I have to throw one or two away after two weeks as I don't plan my meals well and the poor things died in my fridge.

I am just as guilty as the organisers of Taste of Amsterdam. Shouldn't we put in a bigger effort to walk the talk? If we leave a pot of sugar on the table instead of prepacked sugar would that solve the problem? If I just plan ahead what I will cook and eat for the week, perhaps I wouldn't throw food away. So why aren't we doing it all the time?

I can't wait for next week to come. The Food Film Festival returns this year to the Westergasfabriek. It is a 3 day long festival on everything related to food. And I mean everything!

You can choose between watching short films or documentaries from around the world featuring food; or wander through the food truck market and enjoy a picnic; or participate in a workshop where you get to taste, cook or just observe; or even treat yourself to a curated pairing of a delicious meal and a film.

There are very few tickets left for the workshops. So do check it out today if you are interested!

www.foodfilmfestival.nl/en/

C came up with a new career idea for me yesterday. Since I love food and music so much, why not do food and music pairing. I thought the idea was refreshing until Google showed me that some genius has already commercialised such an idea.

Turntable Kitchen. A company that rides on the latest trend of subscription boxes. With a monthly fee, you will receive a curated box of goodies to make your own unique music and food pairing. The goodies include recipes, a couple of premium dried ingredients that is critical to the suggested recipes, music in the form of vinyl and downloadable digital mix-tape and suggested pairing tips.

The blog also offer news on both music and food. Check it out.

For many who don't know, every twice a year, there is the National Restaurant Week. For one week, the participating restaurants offer their a 3 course dinner for under €30. This week happens to be the week!

The participating restaurants may not be Michelin star but they might as well be in my book. The creativity and variety available in the selection will be a trip for your taste buds. The cuisine featured is mostly from the modern kitchen but also very often inspired by traditional techniques and taste. Although the price doesn't include drinks, sometimes they offer wine pairing options.

It really is a great opportunity to try the best restaurants in Amsterdam at a reasonable cost. I just reserved one at Jaimie van Heije at Ouderkerk this weekend and I can't wait.

So you have 6 more days to make your reservations.

Here I am in Madonna di Campiglio where the sun is shining, the scenery is breathtaking and the food is great. What's there not to love.

I grew up on Indonesian food. Weird? Not so. Most of the domestic helpers my mom hired while I was growing up were Indonesians. In Singapore, it is a very common practice especially when you have both parents working full time and there was no such thing as parental leave those days.

I blog about these 3 places because they remind me of home. The food is very authentic. Their menu do not just feature the regular Beef Rendang or Babi Gambing which you can find in any place. If you are adventurous, do not order the rice table but from the ala carte menu.


Srikandi - For that special evening
The service is impeccable, the food is tasty and the ambience is traditional yet intimate. The price however is a little on the high side. If you do enjoy some kick, try the Ikan Bakar Jimbaran which is a dorade marinated in spicy balinese sauce and grilled in banana leaves.
Toko Ikan Mas
Eerste Constantijn Huygensstraat 61-HS, 

I saw this article from an unknown author pasted on the toilet door of my friend's apartment. Don't ask me why it is pasted there. Anyway I thought it is worth sharing since it makes a lot of sense.