finally, a fruit salad to love about

finally, a fruit salad to love about

Times are getting awesome, I snatched a great deal - a tray of kiwi berries from New Zealand for three bucks. I don't know if that makes me stupid, but I still think it's a great deal compared to the silly tray of raspberries beside that goes for eight bucks. These little soldiers are sweeter and slightly more fibrous that their adult brothers.

Due to the bloody brilliant weather in Singapore, I felt like I was about to get a heat stroke in an air conditioned room. But it's okay because I've decided to make a fruit salad for myself. Yep. It's one of those super classified survival tips many people fail to understand. Fruit salad saves lives.

I'm not going to post a recipe today, it's only going to be descriptions, because this is supposed to save lives. Let's get focused, alright?

What you see above is fresh passion fruit pulp. Mine's a little on the ripe side, it's way too sweet. So I added some extra virgin olive oil and a hint of salt. The olive oil is for fun and the salt is for rehydration. I mixed them up good.

Then I wanted to have some more fun. Survival should be all about fun, by the way. If you haven't already know, that is. So I made some grilled banana scallops!

They just look right and taste right. If you're dying, well, they make you feel happier before you do, so this is essential I guess.

I sliced them into nice little coins, drizzled a little Grand Marnier and because I don't have a blow torch, I popped it into a toaster. Works pretty damn good.

I chopped up some apples and added them with the kiwi berries, grilled banana scallops, some toasted pine nuts. It was finished with the passion fruit kinda vinaigrette. Mmmmm.. Freakin' awesome =D

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special encounter: kitchen spartan of gung-ho tribe, jon lee

special encounter: kitchen spartan of gung-ho tribe, jon lee

We have a very special guest to present us a meal today. Armed with the formidable lost ancient art of Chi Chopping(chopping food with hands), Jon Lee is here to contribute some of his ingenious recipes for theCurryPop.

As you can see, there are no chopping boards or knives in the kitchen. All the food items are chopped with Qi Gong. Sometimes, Chi Chopping can be very dangerous as the powers are generated from the energy of deep refined thoughts. Jon Lee must wear a protective head gear at all times, just in case wrong thoughts are generated and things around get chopped up for nothing.

What you see above is a process called magical marinating. This involves marinating meat with a sacred concoction of condiments and spices. This here is chicken, it is marinated with concoction theta(revealed below) and then reinforced with positive thoughts for the greatest flavor.

It is now time to reveal the sacred recipe.

Recipe: Flying Chicken Laughing Mongoose, The Epiphany of the Two Dragons, the Lotus Blossoms. (chicken stewed in wine)

serves 4

5 cloves of Garlic, chopped

a thumb of Ginger, chopped

1 med Yellow Onion, sliced

1 med Potato, diced

500g boneless chicken leg, sliced

1 tbsp Cornstarch, mixed in a little cold water

1 tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 cup Shao Xing Wine

1 cup Chinese Rice Wine

1 tsp Light Soy

1 tbsp Dark Soy

1 tbsp Sugar

1 cup Chicken Broth

1 tbsp X.O sauce

1 tsp White Pepper

1. Marinate the Chicken - "Concoction Theta." In a bowl add: chicken, cornstarch, oyster sauce, two wines, light and dark soy, sugar and white pepper. Marinate for at least 20 mins.

2. Saute garlic, ginger and onions until garlic turns golden brown.

3. Add X.O sauce and saute for further 5 mins.

4. Add in potatoes and chicken broth. Cook potatoes till tender.

5. Add in marinated chicken and cook for 5 more minutes.

6. Transfer to a pot and bring to boil. Simmer covered for 15-20 minutes. DO NOT PEEK!

It was time for "shek-fan" (eat rice), hence there is no time for a good photo.

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the way of the pastalord

the way of the pastalord

Tip number one:
Use garlic like there are vampires in your house.

Don't hesitate. Just add some more garlic. On average, I add about 1-2 cloves of garlic per serving of tomato based sauce. Choose one: mince or crush. Mince them well so they melt into the sauce like eternal bliss. Crush them throw them into the sauce let the flavors all come out then throw it away before serving. Don't do roughly chopped garlic, it's a waste of time.

Tip number two:
Pasta is cooked with love and not from impulsive urges of arousing inspiration.



Cook pasta in boiling water. Boiling. That means lots of excited bubbles and steam. If you throw in your pasta and the water stops boiling, you fail. Make sure your water is well salted. The water should taste almost like sea water. Cook your pasta for the amount of time indicated by the packet instructions minus 3-4 mins. Don't worry if it's under cooked, you will cook it again in sauce. Always allow pasta to steam dry before cooking in sauce. You want the sauce to coat it evenly.

Tip number three:
Use some science.



What you want from a good pasta sauce is nothing but good flavor. The sauce I prepared is still diluted. Diluted = bland, because there is too much liquid. We need to get rid of the water! Always reduce your tomato based sauce.



Here you see the very concentrated sauce. It is important you do not season the sauce until you are about to serve the pasta. Once we get the reduced sauce, it is time to maximize its flavor. We add fat to emulsify. The flavors intensify and become vibrant. I use extra virgin olive oil for the fat because it just tastes great.



Mix the fat into the reduced sauce over medium heat and stir until they emulsify. Taste and now is the right time to season.

Tip number four:
Keep your herbs alive.



Most of the times, herbs are essential if you want to make a good sauce. Here I have some basil. If you put your herbs into your sauce too early, they will wither and die. This is not only to the appearance of the herb but also to the flavor.



Add in herbs the last minute and stir for a minute or two. Time to add your pasta. Add herbs when you are about to finish your pasta in the sauce.



When finishing the pasta in the sauce, make sure to cook the pasta well and ensure that it isn't over cooked. The pasta should have a nice bite to it. That is what it means by the silly over used term, "AL DENTE".

Tip number five:
Chinese proverb: The cow's nipples are sore.



Sometimes, pasta is best appreciated without cheese. Never add cheese for the sake of adding cheese, because if so you're a pompous retard. =) Namaste.

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the superman supper

the superman supper

This apple and tuna salad of epic leftovers is a meal fit for a superman. This is because it's extremely fast to make and it contains protein, fiber, mono-saturated fats, vitamins and whole carbs - all the nice fancy things a superman would need.

I made this salad because I am dieting and because I wanted to use up some leftovers. I was hungry and had to make something up really quick. Didn't want to buy food from the 24 hour food court downstairs, it's making me sick, urhlgh. Little did I know, something awesome has been created!

apple and tuna salad of epic leftovers
- diced granny smith apple
- a can of tuna (I used ayam brand chilli tuna. It was in my cardboard)
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
- chopped cilantro
- chopped scallions
- a little extra virgin olive oil
- black pepper
- leftover rice

Mix well and chill. Eat with gusto.

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apple soup for the soul

apple soup for the soul

If you're sick and tired of the notion that chicken soup will remedy your cold then you're on the right page. Sometimes, just sometimes, chicken soup won't just do the trick. I mean yes it probably would to a certain extent, but there is still something lacking. Ugh, you might find it hard to figure what the heck is lacking, but don't worry I have done the research for you. It's apple soup. Yes, it very well could do the trick and you won't know it until you try it.



It's no secret really, I used apples because I find them full of vitamins and minerals, a slice of lemon because it's always refreshing, ginger because I sense a warm healing property when I eat them, cinnamon and spices for a little bit of zany fun and rock sugar because my grandma once told me it's better than normal sugar.

If you've ever watched the powerpuff girls, they will always tell you they are invincible because they made of "sugar, spice and everything nice." This is exactly what is happening in this soup, so yeah you also call it the powerpuff soup.

Maybe its the placebo effect and maybe its a divine hippie secret uncovered, but hey, it tastes nice and it feels nice so who cares? It's damn easy. You ought to try it someday.

The Recipe

Makes a liter.

2 Granny Smith Apples, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 thin slice of lemon
1/3 cup of rock sugar
1 tsp all spice
2 slices of ginger
1 liter of water

Dump them into a pot, bring to boil. Simmer covered for an hour. Strain and press out the juices from the apples. Serve hot or chilled.

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chick-ken marsala

chick-ken marsala

One of my favorite things to eat for lunch on a sunny day is Chicken Marsala. Normally I'll have it with crispy salted fries because they bring me to another sexy universe when dipped in the Marsala sauce. But today, I can't be bothered to get messy frying potatoes, so I toasted some toast instead. Equally awesome, but really, who am I kidding, toasty toasts won't triumph sexy fries. Especially the crispy shoestring ones deep fried in duck fat. Fvck me. Could have gotten to Macdonald's to get some at least LOL.



I used chicken boobs today, they were nice and juicy. I would prefer marinated chicken legs though. Chicken boobs are great, but they have to be thoroughly massaged to tenderness. Slow and steady. Chicken legs well, they are tender already, you'd just need to cook them properly. If you're attempting to make this, use the legs, unless you like massaging chicken boobs for some reason LOL.

The Recipe

400g Chicken Breasts or Legs, deboned
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
3 small Shallots, chopped
150g White Button Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Marsala/Sherry Wine
1.5 cups Chicken Stock
3 tbsp Cold Unsalted Butter
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

1. Season your chicken really well. On a hot pan, add a little olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter. Sear chicken for 5 mins and side, until nice and brown. Set aside on a plate.
2. In the same pan, saute shallots. Add a pinch of salt and Italian seasoning. Add mushrooms and another pinch of salt. Saute 5 mins until mushrooms starts to shrink.
3. Add Marsala and deglaze. Allow alcohol to evaporate. About 5-7 mins. Add chicken stock and simmer for 10-15 mins until sauce thickens. If it's still too watery, mix 1 tbsp of cornstarch into 2 tbsp of water and add it in.
4. Add in chicken and coat with sauce. Simmer for a further 5 mins. Turn off the heat and add in the remaining 2 tbsp of cold butter and stir it into the sauce. Season and serve with toasty toast or fries :D

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the best char siu fan

the best char siu fan

I've been busy lately, but today I made a point to post the all amazing char siu recipe I made last week. I've had my fair share of char siu in Singapore, but something is always lacking. I cannot be bothered to search for the char siu that will satisfy what I want, that is why I made it myself.

I am sharing with you this recipe now. You may love it, or you may not think it is the best, because opinions and tastebuds vary. But you will be surprised to find how easy this is to make, so hey, why not? Give it a try. If you like it, then stay tuned for more awesome recipes. Otherwise, stay tuned for new recipes that you might just like. It's a win win situation here, as long as you stay tuned :D.

To me, this is the best char siu recipe ever. It is succulent, sweet, savoury, fresh and I absolutely can't have just one slice. I go with a plate of hot steaming rice to mop up the sauces.

Without further ado,

The Recipe

500g Pork Tenderloin or Shoulder

Marinate:
1 clove of Garlic, crushed
2 slices of Ginger
1 tbsp of Chinese Rice Wine
3 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
3 tsp Kikoman Soy
3/4 cup of Sugar
a pinch of 5 Spice Powder
a pinch of White Pepper

Shiny Glaze:
Equal portions of Dark Sweet Soy Sauce, Honey and Vegetable Oil. I make about 2 tbsps of each.

1. Combine marinate ingredients in a ziplock bag and toss in your pork cuts. Shake well and marinate in the fridge. Overnight if possible or at least a few hours.


2. Wrap a baking tray with foil(unless you like it messy). Lay marinated pork cuts and bake in a 220C preheated oven for 15-20 mins. Remove from oven.



3. Apply glaze on the pork cuts and finish it off in a hot grill, hot toaster oven or feel free to brulee for a further 10-15mins until shiny.

4. Allow it to rest for 5-10mins, slice it up and serve with hot rice or noodles.

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choke. jook. chook. congee. porridge.

choke. jook. chook. congee. porridge.

Fish Congee with a Salted Turnip and Black Bean Relish

I have an affinity with Jook. Every time I make Jook it turns out perfect. Wait.. that means I have an affinity with steak, seafood, pasta.. oh uh.. nevermind. Anyways, I'm gonna reveal the technique for making fantastic Congee, ya know', Hong Kong style'(high pitch).

I make Choke on rainy cold days and days I have constipation, because I think it works. Some people think eating Chook will lead to fat loss, and when they eat a lot of Porridge, they become fatter.



As you can see above, I added some CANTON power to my congee. You will find out more about it in the recipe list below. CANTON powah!!

The Recipe

1. Caramelize shallots on low heat with vegetable oil. When golden and crisp, set aside and leave to cool.
2. Wash rice with water until water runs clear. In a saucepan, saute ginger and spring onions in oil(canton power), then turn off the heat for the oil to infuse. Cool for 15 mins. Add rice and coat with the ginger and spring onion oil. Leave to absorb. 15-30mins. Add 3 times the amount of water to rice and bring to boil. Simmer 20-30 mins until ready. Stir occasionally.
3. On a nonstick pan on medium heat, season cod fillets and sear them until white and flaky, about 3-4 mins a side. Remove fish from pan and set aside, flake into pieces when cooled. In the same pan, add a touch of oil and saute chopped garlic and salted turnips(chai poh). Add salted black beans and dried chili flakes. Add a little water and sugar. Add in caramelized shallots. Toss and set aside.
4. To serve, ladle the congee in a bowl, top with cod flakes and add salted turnip relish and spring onions.

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if this doesn't make you hungry then i don't know what will

if this doesn't make you hungry then i don't know what will

I present you:
Uncle Dee's Spicy Ginger Sweet and Sour Black Bean Minced Pork of Unsurpassed Awesomeness.

Yes. It is that good. Especially with a bowl of hot rice and sauteed bak choy. I had this for dinner and I'm still watering in my mouth now. God almighty. That is how good it is. Lucky for you, I am going to share the recipe. Haha :D

The Recipe
1. Add oil in a hot wok. Add in chopped garlic, dried chili and grated ginger. Saute for 2-3 mins. Add minced pork and saute until they are cooked through.
2. Add salted black beans, spicy bean paste, chicken stock, shaoxing wine, a dash of HP sauce, sugar, soy sauce and worchestershire. Let the minced pork simmer in the mixture for 2-3mins.
3. Add a little chinese black vinegar. Mix cornstarch with water. Add in to thicken. Add in beaten egg and turn off the heat. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil.
4. Serve with hot rice and bak choy. Done!

I don't measure the amount of ingredients I use for this. It all comes from my gut. I guess that is why it's called Uncle Dee's Spicy Ginger Sweet and Sour Black Bean Minced Pork of Unsurpassed Awesomeness.

I hope you enjoyed it. Cheers.

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bangers and mash, a "proper" one

bangers and mash, a "proper" one

The Brits will tell you, "if it's not proper, it's not good for you." I cannot agree more, so today I'm going to show you how to make bangers and mash, the 'proper' style.(Yeah! now that's what I'm talkin about')

Rule #1, everything must be fresh. Fresh sausages. No instant mash potatoes. Proper gravy. Fresh butter. Fresh herbs. Sea salt. Freshly cracked black pepper.



Rule #2, serve piping hot. I served my potatoes straight from the pan, sausages nice and hot, in tribute to "proper-ness."



Rule #3, make sauces and gravy from scratch. Use fresh herbs for better aroma.

In the honor of the thirty-third degree of Proper-ness, I present to you:

The Recipe.
serves 4

12 medium Spicy Fennel Sausages or Cumberland Sausages
2 tbsp Canola Oil
6 medium Red Onions, sliced
4 sprigs of Fresh Thyme, leaves picked
2 cloves of Garlic, sliced
4 medium Russet Potatoes
Sea Salt
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Freshly Cracked White Pepper
1 stick of Butter, halved into 2 separate portions
1 cup of Milk
1 cup Chicken/Veal Stock
3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup of Roux (optional)

Mash
1. Start off by baking the potatoes, whole in a 200 degree celcius preheated oven. 45mins to an hour. Set to cool when fork tender. Peel skin with a paring knife.
2. Mash potatoes with a fork or a ricer. Transfer to a saucepan, add milk and put it on low-medium heat. Stir continuously until most of the liquid have evaporated. Add in 1 portion of butter, salt and pepper. Stir until you get a creamy texture.
3. Serve hot.

Sausages
1. Get a pan on medium high heat. Drizzle canola oil. Sear sausages at about 5 mins a side. Set aside to rest for a further 2 mins before serving.

Onion Gravy
1. Saute onions and garlic on low heat until it's nice and soft, about 20 mins. Add in thyme and saute for another min. Add in chicken/veal stock, balsamic vinegar and let it simmer for 5 mins. Add in roux if you desire. Season to taste with sea salt and white pepper.

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very vegetarian post, vegan friendly :D

very vegetarian post, vegan friendly :D

This post is dedicated to vegetarian Buddhists, vegetarian hippies and hot vegan women, because I love you all. This is not my original recipe. I was reading amateur gourmet and this recipe immediately gave me a boner(lovely huge one). So without the slightest thought I ran down(literally) to the market to buy the ingredients to make this. That was how emotional I felt.

When you mix ginger and scallions, they give you CANTON power. Like in all Cantonese cuisine, the slightly sophisticated combination of ginger and scallions always never fail to impress. In this recipe, there is CANTON power. Also salty aroma from the soy sauce, woody caramel-y creaminess from the roasted cauliflower and tingly ting sensations from pickled cucumbers. CANTON power is basically what westerners will tell you, "Mm! 'tastes like Chinese." If you're living in the US and if you order Chinese takeout, don't be surprised to sense some CANTON power secretly lingering in most dishes.

The Recipe

1. Using a really sharp easy peeler, swipe a medium cucumber into strips. Put them all in a bowl and add 1 tbsp salt, 3 tbsp sugar. Let it pickle for about 15-30mins. Taste occasionally. If it's too salty, rinse it off and add more sugar.
2. Boil a pack of Buckwheat Soba noodles(without the wrapper) for 3 mins. Test for al dente. Drain off in a colander and submerge in ice water to stop cooking. Drain again and set aside.
Tip: To make ice water really cold, add a tbsp of salt.
3. Trim a medium cauliflower. Cut it out into nice pieces. On a hot pan, add grapeseed oil, sear cauliflower for 5 mins a side until well browned. Season and set aside.
4. Finely chop 3 large sprigs of scallions and grate 1 thumb of ginger. Transfer into a bowl. Add 1 tbsp Kikoman, 1 tsp really good sesame oil, 2 tsp chinese black vinegar or sherry vinegar and a touch of white pepper.
5. Toss soba with scallion mixture. Rinse off salt and sugar from cucumber pickles. Serve soba in a bowl, top with pickles and roasted cauliflower.
6. Eat with chopsticks otherwise it won't be good.

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truffled mushrooms, fresh mozzarella toast. a sexy post

truffled mushrooms, fresh mozzarella toast. a sexy post

This is very sexy. It is just very sexy. Very, very, very, sexy. To you, not me. I don't know if it's sexy or not, if you think its sexy, then I will feel sexy. Because I don't find food sexy. But some people(especially women) do find some food sexy, if they feel sexy, I feel sexy.

The Very Sexy Recipe

1. Toast 4 slices of bread and set it aside.
2. On a hot pan, add a knob of butter, garlic and fresh thyme. Saute for 5 mins.
3. Add about 400g of sliced button mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook out the water about 10 mins.
4. When the mushrooms are starting to color nicely, add another knob of butter. Toss and coat.
5. Remove from heat, transfer mushrooms into a bowl, drizzle truffle oil and season.
6. Peel off bits from a mozzarella ball and evenly spread over the 4 slices of toast.
7. Top with mushrooms, and grill on high for 5 mins.
8. Serve hot.

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No cooking on Fridays

No cooking on Fridays

Today is no cooking Friday. That means eating out and no picture tagging, because nothing matters. Chillaxxxah! ;) Have a good one. Cheers.

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things I want to eat on a cold rainy day

things I want to eat on a cold rainy day

When the weather is cold, when my hands and feet are white and when it's air conditioning outside, I make soup. Not just any soup! But the kind of soup that gives you some sort of 'chi' feeling to your body. I don't know why, but somehow, someway, something tells me it's good for me.

What you see in the picture above is what I call, the "Level 4 Chi Soup." In my world there are 10 levels of chi, level 1 being the type where its distinct enough for you to know there is a hint of "chi" and level 10, the type that makes blood spurt out from every hole in your body. Level 4 is perfect for the weather now, because it's just rain. If I'm somewhere that is snowing then I'd probably bring it up to a 7.

In the soup I made, there are root vegetables, garbanzo beans and smoked ham. Don't ask me why ingredients like that produce "chi", because it is difficult for me to explain. The only thing I can tell you is that you will feel it when you eat it, unless you like lying to yourself.


Besides the "chi" factor, boiling root vegetables will give you a better soup base. I used carrots, green radishes, onions and potatoes. The starch from the potatoes will work the soup, making it thicker as you simmer. Carrots for sweetness. Radishes for a mild peppery flavor and "chi"(don't ask why). Onions for flavor. Imagine how your taste buds will like a deliciously thick soup that has the sweet aroma of onions, peppery tones from the radish and sweetness from the onions.

If you have taste buds like mine, you would have immediately spotted a missing element. Acidity. Yes, I got that covered too, it's just not shown in the picture. I added 2 medium tomatoes, quartered with seeds. Yep. It's perfect.

The Recipe

1. In a stock pop, boil a slab of smoked ham with water 4 times its weight. That means, if you have a 500g slab of smoked ham, you use 2 litres of water. Simmer for 30 mins.
2. Add in carrots, radishes, onions, potatoes and tomatoes. For a 500g slab of smoked ham, I used 1 medium carrot, 1 white onion, 1 medium radish, 2 peeled russet poatoes and 2 quartered tomatoes.
3. Add 1 tbsp of white peppercorns and 1 tbsp of dried herbs(I used rosemary, oregano and thyme). Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the smoked ham, dice it up and throw it back into the simmering stock. Then I add 1 can of chick peas(garbanzo beans). Simmer for 5 mins then turn off the stove.
5. To serve, place the ingredients in a bowl, then ladle over hot stock. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, crack black pepper and sprinkle a little salt. Great with bread.

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