TWD: Brioche Pear Tart
(think sultry winter accompanied with warm spices..)
I still live in Australia... not physically of course, but it's a mental state of mind. Winter fruits? Who am I kidding? Though I must add that it was hard re-adjusting back to life in Spore. Fire breathing parents, with a boyfriend playing a never-ending game of heart attack with the armed forces and throw in a pinch of natural adulthood derieved stresses; and you're on your way to a major catastrophe.
At the very least, something had worked itself right. Landed myself with a job as with a baking supplies shop along Bukit Timah Road which I found nothing short of a miracle. Surrounded by the likes of laughter floating thru the air everyday, jovial greetings and flurried footsteps pattering around the shop premises; I've found a piece of mind. Service, I discovered, an aspect I had yet to dwelt in but so direly crucial to any business. I knew that God had sent me for a purpose... interaction perhaps?
oh yes.. TWD! Finally arranged another rare meet up with the brilliant Dorie Greenspan for a bakeoff. This week's choice, a Brioche Plum Tart which I decidedly converted into one other bursting with the warm tones of winter spices. Swopped the plum jam with an apricot jam and the plums for packham pears covered with a handsome amount of sugared walnuts in mixed spices. The Brioche that had once broke my heart in the previous episode with the brioche snails had magically transformed into a poofed beauty of utter romance and rich bread. My face glistened with the pride as the shivering dough reach a snuggly warmth in the moist surroundings only to rise to greater heights again at it's last blasting stage. This recipe is definitely a winner. Thanks to Denise from Chez Us for picking out this lovely recipe. Do head down to her blog for the recipe and scroll down the rest of the TWD bloggers for a look of the other versions installed!
my fickled friend, the summer wind
It's been ages since I've written a decent post. And when I say decent, meaning an entry with proper content, not entirely doused in overwhelmed emotions of wretched feelings. But what if I'm nothing more than that? A barrel bursting of liquid fuel just waiting to be ignited? Perhaps mum's right, I should enroll myself in some sort of EQ class (if that even exists?), can't seem to churn out answers the way people want to hear them. Again, I take on the villainous role. Not that it was intentional or anything, but I do agree that my non-chalent attitude can be a little over bearing sometimes. oh gosh, ramblings again. So sorry, where was I? ahh.. decent entry.
So moving on to more important things, I meant to write a little short entry on the recent happenings of the past weekend. To my blessed fortune, I was given the opportunity to prepare a 'high tea' spread (or in modest terms, 'cha dien' as we would normally call it) for the young adult fellowship and our parents who had been cordially invited to grace the occasion. Essentially a program aimed at resolving the differences between parents and their children, guest speakers included ling kang and his family shared their experiences and attempt to answer the nagging queries both from parents and the 'angsty' children alike.
Sweet butterfly cupcakes with strawberry swirl mascarpone filling whisked across the table followed by hearty 'flat' cream scones with jam, an enormous chocolate malt cheesecake and dainty blueberry turnovers; many of which had burst and yield under the high heat of the oven, the purple juices runeth over. All good, but still, the mini burgers were the star of the show. And being the hostess with the mostest, here's sharing with you the recipe for the buns! do shout out if you guys are interested in the recipe for the burger patties though.
makes 22 small (2 inch diameter) buns
Ingredients
3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
Directions
1) Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients—by hand, mixer, or bread machine—
to make a soft, smooth dough.
2) Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 hour, or until it's doubled in bulk.
3) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round
1" thick (more or less); flatten to about 2" across. Place the buns on a lightly greased
baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until very puffy.
4) If desired, brush buns with melted butter. Or brush lightly with egg wash (1 egg beaten
with 1 tablespoon water), and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5) Bake the buns in a preheated 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, till golden. Cool on a rack.
Thanks to everyone for their kind compliments. It was definitely an experience making all this food for you guys. Therapeutic for the heart yet not so much for the poor feet. Landed up with aching arch the next 2 days. Still, God provides in all his miraculous ways.
Now I pray that he sorts out the rest of the wreckage for me. Plans? What certainty can I have in life? How else can I ensure a life pure and sanctified unless I sow my seeds in the ground with his steadfast presence as my final marker? too many questions...
Itchiness creeps up my throat. Got to hit the sack folks. Goodnight babe.
whispering softly
careless whispers
The fox crept up slowly to the side of his forlorn mate and gently whispered,
' I really love you a lot, so please wait for me.'
and she thought to herself
' how lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.'
lonely encounters
Lonely encounters
Been lost in a cloud of emotions lately. None of which are any good for me. And as we both embark on different phases of our lives, you shrouded by frenzied actions and hasty orders; I am left to pick up the shards of forgranted memories. It is as though reality had come through on a strong gust of wind and taken you away from me; yet I stand alone amongst my marigold field of dreams and fantasies.
Yet I assure you, the talk about the adventures in Tuscany, and my very own berry farm, these I would definitely accomplish someday. Whether or not you'll be by my side, is all part of a mystery. Loneliness.. is just a facet of life that I will gain familiarance with.
And as I stoop over the counter in the late of night kneading my wholemeal bread dough, the feel of developing gluten warm and sticky around my fingers, a smile creeps upon my face, perhaps I could get use to this...
just for the mum
an update of my journey.
so don't say I didn't do it.
tiny trail of ants clambering the steep slopes of ayers rock. treacherous...now I can say, 'been there, done that.'
a different view of the majestic red rock. aboriginal caves boring certain cultural significance.On to the Olgas...
the valley of the winds.
every bit as mystical as it sounds.
even the pesisting flies buzzed off in a slow breeze
towering boulders of rock paint a spectacular scene against the blinding blue backdrop.by now. sweat of exertion drizzled down the nape of my neck.
And don't worry.. home cooked meals are always satisfactory. *grinz*
and I really wish I had more time.. but this would have to suffice for the moment (another short trip to wilsons promonotory national park tmr). Just a shot or two more of the most wonderful part of the entire trip (for me). Tasmania. A land of diverse landscapes and unpredictable weather. In one word... 'beautiful'
and finally...just for a little honeyed touch.
to my worried stricken mum.
I love you.
Under the Sea
Under the Sea... in search of a treasure trove
Mothers Day. Another money trapping device? Mostly for the chinese eateries scattered throughout our tiny island as children scuttle around in display of filial piety. On the contrary, mothers day held much more meaning than it's superficial value as a festival for busy, money spinning children to shower gifts and affection upon their mothers; it is a day to celebrate God's gifts to us, children... our Mothers.
Perhaps the ear-stinging sermon in the morning did work its wonders in softening the hearts of many out in the audience. Floating thoughts of 'evil' children who shoved insults at their parents behind their backs, who greet their computers before greeting their parents upon reaching home, were thick in the air above. Some of them were true, still we live oblivious to the implications of our actions. Blind to the truth that obedience is a quality demanded by God.
That aside, the family decided to have dinner together at the Barnacles at Rasa sentosa after a fervid recommendation from Da yi zhang. so a reservation for 13 pax it was...
Food wise, the barnacles guarantees a fresh catch of seafood with every order. And sure enough, the ying yang ($22) was a delight with the succulent prawns lightly tossed in creamy dressing still holding a light crystal quality crunch. The 1/2 Dozen oysters ($28) were lovely, but not as fleshy as I hoped they would be. (tasmania.. here i come!) . Most were in bliss at the mention of the Foie Gras with Passion fruit coulis ($26), pity I had no tolerance for the buttery rich liver. Still a worth a try for the many self-acclaimed fans out there. Worth mentioning are the Tenderlion Rossini ($45) and the Chef's Mixed Grill ($38) which I stole a peep at from the other end of the table. With top quality beef used, The true flavor of the meat shone thru, only to be heighted by the side serving of peppered cognac sauce. Heavenly.
Velda and I shared an order of Ravioli and Lobster ($36) and the mixed seafood skewer ($36). The former was excellent, a giant Boston lobster crowning a bed of ravioli filled with goats cheese. served with sauteed truffled mushrooms and a tomato dressing. This was a perfect mix of flavors, a little on the heavy side, but still good nonetheless. The mixed seafood skewer consisted of tiger prawns, barramundi and salmon grilled on a skewer served with stewed courgettes and zucchini. Did i mention that the seafood is gorgeously fresh? matched with the smokey flavors inherited from the grill, I ate speechlessly.
Here I shall leave for Australia (be gone for 6 weeks) with final words ' with unconditional love from them, we should return them with unconditional esteem and care.'
Happy Mothers' Day to all mothers around the world.
Barnacles Restaurant and Bar
101 Siloso Road
Rasa Sentosa Resort Singapore
Tel: 6371 2930
When in doubt, follow your gut
When in doubt, follow your gut
To celebrate his quick recovery, we took him on an excursion to the hustle and bustle around the arab street region. Afraid that the vivid colors would jolt a sudden repurcussion in him, we took extra precaution. Fortunately, the little one embraced the painted walls and mosiacs of colors so well. So proud of him...
All these for just $7.80. Come on.. you probably can't find such good value anywhere else! Throw that notion of visiting Forlino out of the window and head down to this shophouse cafe instead!
B Bakery at Bussorah street.
Gazing around the room, looks of satisfaction were seen everywhere. The grilled vegetables with hummus plate and smoked duck salad with pomenegrate dressing stole my gaze. Perhaps I would drop by for a meal instead next time. Shall hold on to this though till my next visit.
B Bakery
15 Bussorah Street
Tel: 6293 9010
Zac's Cafe
17 Jalan Pinang
Tel: 6295 1816
again we bid our farewells
Just for the TWDers who dropped by for this week's dose of Tiramisu Cake. I apologise for the lack of pictorial features, none in fact. Though I did try out the recipe and served it as a happy ending to my parmesan mustard pork chops and sage crusted potatos, my poor camera just wasn't around the capture the moment with me. It was ill again, had to send it to the doctors. *sigh*
On hindsight, the Tiramisu was spectacular, the yellow cake playing perfect host to the drunken spirited party of alcohols and adrenaline junkies (coffee!). The mascarpone filling, a perfect consistency that lived up to my expectations. For my version, I made it in clear acrylic cups that allowed the sloshing patterns of the drenched sponge and the biege fillings to shine through. Decorated with a bold dash of cocoa powder and plump strawberries.. these were all ready to take over the world. Well.. let's start from the boyfriend's stomach first. BINGO! he had TWO! hehe. Thanks Megan for choosing this fantastic recipe! Visit her blog for the recipe.
Now I've just got to figure out what to do with the remainder mascarpone cheese. Any suggestions?
at the foothills of all these mysterious things
At the foothills of all these mysterious things...
Time slips thru our fingertips, like the smooth sand grains of an hour glass tipped over. With each passing day, it keeps us guessing whether the sun would shine mercilessly perforating the thin cloud cover or whether a heavy sky of grey sheets would hang over head. Today, the latter has been chosen.
The week constituted of a mish-mash of events put together in a jigsaw puzzle that appeared to harmonious apart from the gaps of sadness that filled the holes otherwise. Lunch at Uluru was an enjoyable event, not of epicurean significance, though it did have a certain 'economical' sense to it. To all those contemplating the venue, give the $15 weekday set lunch (2 course) a shot. The roast beef sandwich I had was without a doubt one of the best I've ever had. Accompanied by thick 'steak' fries and a rocket salad, it was delectable. The focaccia bread, mustard mayonnaise spread and medium done beef slices came together with the precision of a well intergrated orchestra. On a seperate note, the mud pie (pictured above) that came along with the boyfriend's 3 course set meal was a surprise too. With differing contrasts btw the layers, my tummy did a mini sommersault. Crisp praline, with rich ganache and a lighter chocoalte mousse and chocolate cake layers. Mmm.
Sunday came and went. Tim Sum with the folks and the India inspired cousin at Prima Revolving tower. Some should oil the turning plate, the muted jerks send jolts down my spine...
Then it was off to view the cats. Darn, makes me want to own a kitty cat too. With those agile performers bouncing off the wall, licking their whiskers and manevering the thin aisles, it was all an entirely enjoyable experience.
Weston's Organic Cider is the best drink ever invented. Period.
