Crispy Salmon with Butter Poached Apples

This was one of the first successful dishes of mine (By successful, I meant that it got basically a rave from Pauline!).

It is also very simple to make this dish.

Make sure you get a salmon fillet with skin as the skin is meant to be pan fried until crispy. Season generously on both sides and score the fish. Insert a few sprigs of thyme in the slits.

Heat up a pan until it is piping hot and add some olive oil. Use your hand to place the salmon, skin side down and press down on it for a few seconds. To cook a perfect fish, always only turn the fish once during the cooking process.

Once the fish is about two-thirds cooked, turn it on the other side. Add a knob of butter and base the fish by taking a teaspoon and continuously showering the top of the fish with the melted butter. Let it cook for another 2 mins or so and then set aside. As with all meats, let it sit for at least 5 mins in order for the fish to finish cooking on its own and the juices are sealed in.

Slice an apple and in the remaining juices in the pan, add some lemon juice and the apple slices and let it poached until the liquid has reduced by half or until the sauce is syrupy. As a side, you can add some mash potatoes with chives to complement the salmon and the apples, or alternatively you can pair with some ratatouille veggies of your choice.

The salmon should be cooked just right, with the center still fairly pink and tender and the skin absolutely crispy. The nice sweetness from the apple slices and apple sauce will provide a nice counter balance to the salmon meat.

The Old Malaya Cafe

It's strange when you think that there's nothing left to excite you foodwise in mainstream Orchard Road, that you stumble onto a gem.

And that is exactly what we found last week whilst at the basement food center of 313, the last place that I thought I would find something new and exciting. While it is new in discovery, but rich in old tradition where the food is concerned.

The gem is the Old Malaya Cafe, which is designed to model after a traditional coffee stall, and is steeped in atmosphere.

But the food is the thing, and no measure of atmosphere can replace the aroma and taste of a treasure, and what a genuine delight we had when we had our food.

Popiah

The popiah we ordered was done almost perfect. The popiah skin was just nice, not too hard or stale, and soft but firm enough to hold the ingredients within. The chinese parsley, garlic, peanut bits, sweet sauce and the popiah veggies were just the right mix and balance. Flavors that explode in the mouth!

Pauline did complain the garlic was just a tad bit too strong, but being a vampire slayer, I am usually fine with a bit more raw garlic, but then again, not every one is Van Helsing like myself :)

Pontian Noodles

The star of the meal was undoubtedly the Pontian Noodles. I have had the usual franchised Pontian noodles around town, (the ones at Marina South and United Square) and while they are not too bad, this one (to me) beats the competition hands down.

It is something about the texture of the noodles, which we Chinese describe as "qq", meaning a texture that once you bite into the noodle, you get that bouncy yet tender within feeling. And then, there is the matter of the deep fried wantons, which are very strangely shaped, as if they are a bit squished.

Soupy Wantons

But I will get to the wantons in a second, but the noodles themselves, let's just say we gobbled it up in a matter of minutes! The sauce, noodles and wantons are perfect, but if that was not enough, you also get a 'bonus' of a soup with the regular wantons as well.

Deep Fried Wantons

We liked the wantons so much, we just had to order a separate plate on its own. Just check out the picture and the curiously shaped wonders! It is something about the pressed shape nature that makes the texture so unique, though Pauline did think the deep fried skins were a bit too much and preferred more filling.

Chicken Rice Balls

They also had chicken rice balls which were popularised in Malacca. However, the rice balls were far too grainy for our liking when compared to even the local ones here (Hainan Chicken Rice Balls eg.). But for those who never had these before, it is still palatable but certainly not as flavorful.

The Old Malaya Cafe was a joy to dine and to have a chat and coffee as well. I can imagine spending a lot of my Orchard time there, especially after a particularly hefty shopping spree by my dear wife.

For those who fancy good old malaya fare in the middle of modern Orchard Road, Old Malaya Cafe gets my vote as the ideal pit stop, be it for a quick snack or a full meal. There were also other classics like Prawn Mee which we did not get to try, but then, that is for another day :)

The Old Malaya Cafe at B3@313 Somerset

Click here for the youtube link.
Click here to download the HD version.

Written, filmed, edited and directed by Silverchef Productions.
Shot and edited entirely on Apple's Iphone 4 and at The Old Malaya Cafe itself.
No popiah was harmed in the shooting of this video.
"You Run Away" performed by Barenaked Ladies.

Baked Parmesan Chicken

My son was home from college over the weekend and begged me to make

one of his favorite dinners.

Baked Parmesan Chicken.

This is a great plan-ahead meal

for days you know you will come home from work frazzled,

and need a QUICK dinner.

Baked Parmesan Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Kraft Parmesan cheese in the green canister

Mayonnaise

Dried oregano leaves

Heat oven to 360-degrees

Line a large cookie sheet with no-stick foil.

Trim fat off of chicken and place one breast

into a gallon-sized Ziplock bag

Seal the bag and flatten the chicken with

a meat mallet.

The bag will keep the chicken from splattering around

your kitchen.

Flatten each breast this way

and place pounded chicken on the foiled pan.

Plop a spoonful of mayonnaise onto each chicken breast.

Be careful NOT to touch the spoon to the raw meat

or you will contaminate your jar of mayonnaise.

Smear the mayonnaise over each breast covering all areas.

Sprinkle with Kraft Parmesan cheese.

Sprinkle on some dried oregano leaves.

When I was working full time, I would prepare this part

either the night before, or if I had time...

in the morning.

I covered it with plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge

until I returned from work.

It only takes about a half hour to cook!

Preheat oven to 360-degrees.

Bake the chicken for about 20 minutes.

It will be swimming in a lot of liquid.

Carefully drain this off.

Return the chicken to the oven

and cook another ten minutes or until the

cheese is golden brown.

This chicken reminds me of the Wiener Schnitzel I ate

when I was an exchange student in Germany.

It's always a hit at our house!

Even Sonny's friend loved it.

thought of the day: playful

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Burger Bench and Bar

Heard so much about Burger Bench n Bar (otherwise known as b3 from now), that we made a trip to this new Willin Low creation at Orchard Cineleisure.

It was relatively packed on a Saturday afternoon, where a steakhouse used to be at. Guess that one didn't fare too well.

The decor was quite nice and zen, almost kinda spacey in a way. The place itself was quite small, with only about 6 or 7 benches. But burgers were what we were here for ...

Saute Mixed Mushroom Burger

Pauline had the Saute Mixed Mushroom Burger, which kinda reminded me of the Mushroom Swiss from BK, but in reality they are really quite worlds apart.

For one, b3 claims not to use any preservatives in their food, and they use fresh beef to make their patties with. It is certainly far healthier.

The mushrooms were a mixed of shitake, button and something else. And while it was certainly flavorsome in the mushroom sense, we could have used a bit more in the end. The buns they used are the harder sesame type, whilst I prefer the soft sesameless ones.

Nevertheless, the burger tasted fresh and wholesome, which was the objective anyway. In the end, it did lack a certain hearty flavor you get from normal burgers from the other usual joints.

Sarawak Black Pepper Beef Burger

I had the Sarawak Black Pepper Beef Burger, which had very similar garnishings, but have a more flavorsome pepper sauce that went along with it. Had nice slice of tomato as well, and overall was more tasty.

The burgers could come with either fries that are freshly made or chips which they will slice from fresh potatoes and deep fry. We tried both and they were certainly good on both accounts, but for those who like it salt heavy, you will be sorely disappointed.

For those who remember my post about Fergburger, b3 does not come close to it as the Ultimate burger. But for those who are looking for a nice and healthy alternative, b3 certainly provides that ... at a price.

Burgers start around $7 dollars and above, so a meal for 2 with drinks will set you back about 20 or more.

Fergburger still rules ... but b3 is burger cool in this town too.

Burger Bench and Bar
Orchard Cineleisure #01-02 Orchard Cineleisure, 8 Grange Rd

killer's photos

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These are some pretty pictures from the 70's. But you loook at them differently when you know that these are also some photos out of of dozens found in a storage locker rented by serial killer Rodney Alcala. Police thinks that some of the people in the photos might be possible victims and are asking for public help in identifying them.


Incarcerated in 1979, Alcala has been convicted for 5 murders but is suspected for many more. He used to ask women to pose for him, passing as a fashion photographer.

I've always been interested in serial killers... it's a subject that captivates me and scares me at the same time. Seeing these photos is a little bit disturbing both because it makes the killer appear more human and artistically engaged and because I might be looking at portraits of women smiling just before they were brutally murdered. And even for those that weren't, it's still frightening to have been happily unaware so close to such a deeply disturbed individual.

These pictures offer an interesting but unnerving view from behind the camera of what the serial killer was looking for at that time...

See all photos in the Seattle Times here

via don't panic

Spinach Noodles

Ingrediants

Spinach Noodles

Janes' Crazy Mixed up salt

Directions
How I love sinach noodles. Cook noodles in boiling salted water until tender, about 15-20 minutes; drain. Add that crazy mixed up salt. This so simple, and tasty.

Vegetarian Sushi 101

I was at the asian market the other day. The man that ran the shop sad, sushi is easy to make and less expensive if you hand make it, and guess what? it is!. Im going to show you the types of vegetetarian sushi. TO learn to make sushi click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPMaid87Es0

1. Mushroom Sushi: Take soba noodle, egg omlet, Spring onion, shitake mushroom and pickles on Nori paper thent! Roll very Tight

2. Cucumber, cream cheese and avocado: This vegetarian sushi has the perfect combination of smooth and crunchy textures. Keep in mind that it is higher fat than some of the other vegetarian options because the cream cheese and avocado are both fat-laden.
3. Egg sushi: Japanese scrambled eggs, called Oboro, are often used in vegetarian sushi. For those vegetarians who eat eggs, it is not only delicious, but a good source of protein.
4. Roasted eggplant and zucchini: For a hearty vegetarian sushi, try roasted or grilled eggplant and zucchini. The bold flavors are satisfying, but the resulting sushi is very low fat and healthy.
5. Tofu and Green Onions: This protein-packed sushi is low fat and delicious. You can try using fresh or dried tofu for variations on this classic.

Seis De Mayo Sandwitch

Ingredients

4 slices spicy artisan bread, such as chile bread/4 tablespoons guacamole/6 slices Roma tomato/4-5 slices mozzarella cheese for vegan versian use tofutti, or Daiya http://www.daiyafoods.com/ thin slices of cucumber /1 cup alfalfa or clover sprouts (YUM)/2 leaves of romaine lettuce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place two of the bread slices on a work surface and cover with 1 tablespoon guacamole. Top each piece of bread with three tomato slices, followed by 2-3 slices of mozzarella. Place all four slices of bread directly on the oven rack and heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Evenly lay the cucumber slices on top of the melted cheese. Cover each with sprouts and lettuce. On the two remaining bread slides, spread the rest of the guacamole, then place bread guacamole side down on lettuce. Now Serve
3. From http://www.yumsugar.com/

Vegatable Mix Ratatouille

Ingredients

• 2 onion, sliced into rings/3 cloves garlic, minced/1 medium eggplant, cubed/2 zucchini, cubed/2 medium yellow/ squash, cubed/2 green bell peppers, seeded and cubed/1 yellow bell pepper, diced/1 chopped red bell pepper/4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped/1/2 cup olive oil/1 bay leaf/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley/4 sprigs fresh thyme/salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions & garlic, until soft. In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the zucchini till slightly browned on all sides. Remove the zucchini and place in the pot with the onions and garlic. Saute remaining vegetables one batch at a time, adding 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet each time you add a new set of vegetables. Once each batch has been sauteed add them to the large pot as was done in step 2. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and thyme and cover the pot. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley to the large pot, cook another 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove bay leaf and adjust seasoning.

Salsa Rice Enchiladas

Ingrediants

1 1/2 cup of chunky syle salsa/1 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder/1 cup of uncooked instant rice/1 can of black beans

1 can of kernel corn with peppers/1 1/2 cup of shreaded cheddar cheese/8 flour toritlla

In a skillet heat 1 1/2 cups of chilli and salsa till its boiling, Stir in rice. Remove fro head and let sit for 5 minuts. Now mix in beans, corn and cheese. Spoon about 1/2 cup of rice mix into each tortilla fold up bottom sides.

tortellini soup

Ingredients

• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth/4 cups water/2 extra-large vegetable bouillon cubes/1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, unthawed/2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained/1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini/1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.Add spinach, stewed tomatoes, and garlic, and return mixture to a boil.Stir in tortellini, and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle each serving evenly with shredded Parmesan cheese.Note: For testing purposes only, we used Knorr Vegetable Bouillon Cubes.

Zucchini Pistou Pasta

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil /2 1/2 cups zucchini (cut roughly penne shaped) /1 cup basil (packed)/ 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated) /1 clove garlic/ 2 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)/ 1/2 lemon (juice)/ salt and pepper/ 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion (diced)/ 2 cloves garlic (chopped)/ 1/2 pound pasta (I used whole wheat penne)/ 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)/ 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Heat the oil in a pan. 2. Add the zucchini and saute until tender, about 5 minutes and set aside. 3. Place 1/3 of the zucchini in a food processor along with the basil, parmigiano reggiano, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
4. Heat the oil in the pan. 5. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. 6. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute. 7. Add the remaining zucchini and set aside. 8. Meanwhile cook the pasta as directed on the package reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta water when you drain it. 9. Add the reserved pasta water to the food processor and puree it contents. 10. Add the pistou to the pasta along with the zucchini and heavy cream and toss to coat.
11. Serve garnished with parmigiano reggiano and pepper.

Sin Ming Roti Prata With Video

I been wanting to post on my favorite roti prata stall in Singapore for some time. And trust me, there are numerous prata shops all around the island!

For those who do not know, roti prata is a form of dough that is fried using clarified butter, hence, disastrously sinful if consumed in large amounts.

And in Singapore, roti prata is consumed mainly as a breakfast meal, though it is quite filling to accommodate any meal of the day.

There are many famous prata stalls here, including the likes of Jalan Kayu and Prata House at Upper Thomson.
But the one that I frequent and favor most is found in an almost hidden corner of a Sin Ming HDB block/coffee stall just off the main road of Upper Thomson, quite near to Prata House in fact.

Coin Prata Set

They have these lovely coin shaped pratas which comes in a bundle of 6, which can be quite filling on its own. It's still small so you can easily finish in a couple of mouthfuls.

Egg Prata

But the main event is the standard prata, which is what we came here for. And judging from the morning queue, it is very popular among the residents here. Also, they do not pre-fry a lot of plain prata (prata zero or kosong in Malay), and thus, almost every prata is very freshly made.

Prata Breakfast

There are a number of people who like the crispy version found at Prata House, and I do not count among them. I prefer the more traditional less deep fried version of it. And the one at Sin Ming fulfills that admirably. I personally like to order onion and egg, as they will have to cook fresh and that is how you should eat prata, freshly made!

Partly, because the dough is very fresh and the prata has a nice balance of doughyness and still a light fried and crispy fluffy texture mixed in. Also, they used green pepper as you can see from the pictures, which elevates the flavor a bit, and gives it a nice color.

Curry Chicken

And the curry that comes with it is just nice, not overly spicey and yet, delectably fragrant. I had the curry chicken before, and it was also deliciously tender and moist.

Overall, if you want a great prata, you cannot go wrong here.

Sin Ming Roti Prata
Blk 24 Sin Ming Road #01-51

Written, filmed, edited and directed by Silverchef Productions.

Shot and edited entirely on Apple's Iphone 4 and at Sin Ming Road.

No coin prata was harmed in the shooting of this video.

"Here Comes The Sun" performed by Brooke White.

EASY Shrimp Alfredo

Here's a tasty recipe you can quickly toss together after a busy day at work.

It's also the perfect meal to serve a gang of hungry teens.

My son's friends gobbled this up and

did I mention it's EASY??!!

My brother-in-law Randy made this for a large group when our families rented

a vacation house on a lake.

It was DELICIOUS and not a big bother to make.

So I call this recipe:

Randy's Shrimp Alfredo

(serves 8 people)

I buy several bags of the frozen cooked shrimp when it goes on super-duper sale.

I always have some in the freezer.

1 bag of frozen shrimp, thawed and tails removed

2 jars Classico (I use Four Cheese Flavor) Alfredo Sauce

Spoonful of minced garlic from jar

1/2 tea. dried oregano

Dried parsley

Grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 lb. of spaghetti, boiled and drained

I have made Alfredo sauce from scratch, but Randy taught me the Classico sauce from the jar is

so yummy with his spruce-up tricks...I no longer bother.

That's what makes this recipe so QUICK to make.

Put spaghetti on to boil according to package directions.

Run the frozen shrimp under cold water to thaw.

Remove the tails by pinching the very end and pulling them off.

Melt a bit of butter in a large Dutch oven pan over medium/high heat and

saute the shrimp.

The shrimp is already cooked, so you're only heating it through.

Takes only a few minutes.

The shrimp shrinks and loses a lot of water.

Drain the shrimp and return it to the pan.

Add a spoonful of minced garlic and saute for about a minute.

REMOVE PAN FROM BURNER

and reduce heat to low.

Add the jars of Alfredo sauce.

If you leave the pan on the burner, the sauce will immediately bubble up and splatter all over

you and your stove!

Add the dried oregano.

Cover the pan and return to the burner to simmer until heated through.

Once spaghetti is cooked and drained,

stir it in with the sauce.

Sprinkle with a little dried parsley

and grated fresh Parmesan cheese.

I LOVE fast and easy meals

especially when they are delectable.