Putting together a Festive Hamper

So I love to make my own original hampers for the festive season.

This year, I have chosen a Mediterranean theme. Using Ottolenghi and Tamimi's cookbook titled Jerusalem as a centerpiece, I chose Middle Eastern, Mediterranean & North African ingredients to the mix. After all, this is probably more "christmasy" then snowflakes and santa claus.

I know, you'll say why bother? Well, we've ordered store bought hampers in the past and we feel we're not getting good value items. To fit the budget, many stores give small packaging of nuts, etc. I wanted to give something more substantial than a hamper with some wine, and substandard bag of nuts. 

Here are some tips to putting together an original hamper: 

1/ Try and find a theme. Mine was Middle Eastern Christmas. (What can be more christmas than Jerusalem)?

2/ Try and co-ordinate the colors. I was thrilled to find this gorgeous gold green olive bottle (Kalamata PDO) from world market, which complemented the Moroccan Mint tea packaging. I added the tri-colored couscous, which also worked with the gold and green look. Just add a gold ribbon to the basket. 

3/ Add interesting ingredients: The spice packs from World Market were great little items to throw into the basket. I chose sumac (my fave spice), za'atar and aleppo pepper (all of these spices are used in the Jerusalem cookbook). I also found the Moroccan preserved lemons (better still, make your own home-made version for a personal touch) 

4/ I abstained from using cellophane plastic to wrap the hamper. It's not necessary. There's too much plastic in our oceans already!

5/ As a rule of thumb, fill with 2 or 3 big ticket items and then add smaller items as fillers. Some good big ticket items to put in your hamper: wine, chocolate, olive oil, recipe books, wine gadget,

6/ Some good fillers: small wine apparatus, coasters, spice, honey,

7/ Best to make a theme so your hamper looks "put together" Here are some other ideas for themes: 

- Californian wine hamper (Californian wine, Mcevvoy ranch has a good range of tapenades, olive oil and even salt scrubs, Californian cheese from Cowgirl Creamery) 
- Breakfast hamper (big ticket items like a coffee press, add granolas, jam, honey and coffee powder)
- Italian hamper (gourmet pastas, Italian cheese, ravioli makers, interesting pasta measurers) 
- French dessert hamper (French remekins, champagne, get goodies from Frenchery.com)

So give it a try, make your own original hamper. message me on facebook if you have any questions!

Why diversifying your kids palate is a good idea

My first kid started as a picky eater and I've tried very hard to change that. My take has always been to encourage kids to be adventurous in eating. And there's many ways of doing so.

1/ Keep diversifying their tastebuds and introduce them to something new each week (sushi / indian food / chinese) It's one thing to blend their vegetables and hide it in the food but I think they should be exposed to eating different textures.

2/ Always keep the attitude positive. For example, on spicy food, never panic and say "Oh No its spicy!" instead, try a challenge "this is big people's food, when you are ready, you can try it." or you can use some imagination "It makes the mouth hot like a dragon! Too bad it only stays for awhile"

3/ Encourage wonderful food experiences in restaurants. growing up as a Singaporean kid, eating was our culture and we were exposed to a lot of different styles of eating: Dim Sum, South Indian food, Seafood, etc.

If your kids move from picky to adventurous eaters, you will be able to enjoy food adventures together as a family and not have to say "I can't go to xxx restaurant, Johnny can't eat xxx. It will also open the kids to different cultures and a wealth of life experiences.

Diversity won't hurt you, in fact I am a firm believer that it would benefit and sustain you.  

Natural Indian Snacks for School Lunchbox

My friend brought me to Madras Supermarket in Sunnyvale, California. I was impressed at the diversity of grains and spices in this supermarket. In the Western diet, we have grown so used to eating wheat that we forget that there is such a diversity of ingredients out there. Take flour for example...most Westerners are familiar with wheat flour and maybe they may have two or three other different flours in their pantry. The Indian diet incorporates so much different varieties of flour: sorghum, moong dal, chick pea, rice, soya bean, buckwheat, millet and the list goes on...

It has added oomph into my kid's snack box. Here are some ingredients that you can buy from your local Indian supermarket:

Pani Puri (Left of lunchbox)
Made of semolina, flour, salt, oil and water, this crisp puffy snack is perfect for schoolkids. Apart from a little salt, there's no other preservatives. I  serve it with a little tub of yoghurt of cream cheese on the side. This is my little one's favourite. (he can't get enough of it)

Namak Para (bottom right of lunch box)
Primarily made of wheat flour, this makes a great nibble for the kids

Boondi (top right of lunch box)
These salted fried chickpea flour puffs are nice to pick and snack on (the version I bought contains a little peanut but I'm sure if you try hard enough, you can find non-peanut versions)

Sesame Chikki (centre of lunch box)
It comes in a slab. It's like sesame brittle. Break it up with your fingers. It goes well with coffee (or in your child's snack box) Nice crunchy sticky texture and it's a good substitute to all those snacks with artificial colors.

Incidentally, my kids loved the box of Indian snacks I put together for them. The older one loved Boondi and the younger one loved Pani Puri.

Keep trying.

How to host a fabulous Winter Raclette party

There's nothing like melty cheese to warm the cockles of your heart in winter.  Most people are familiar with fondue but I think I also like the lesser known cousin...raclette.

Raclette is a semi-hard cheese that originates from Valais, Switzerland. Is is said that Swiss cow herders used to take Raclette cheese with them when they are out and about with their herd. Then they would light a fire and roast the cheese. These days, the cheese is warmed on a pan and scraped onto boiled potatoes. In Switzerland and the French Alps, it's a popular dish after a hard day's work of skiing.

I was hosted by my French friend recently; She threw a wonderful raclette party for 12. I realize that it's actually a nice fuss free way of entertaining. Your guests cook their own food and they're having so much fun in the process.

So here's three easy steps to get started with your raclette party: 

1/ Get one of these cool raclette grills. You basically melt the raclette cheese with your individual pans, that can be slotted into the grill. You can grill vegetables on top or cook crepe on the top of the raclette grill, but that's for another party! You can get one of these raclette grills on Amazon. 

(6 person raclette grill) 

2/ Besides the raclette cheese, you can put together a charcuterie plate of saucisson, cuts of meat like parma ham and bowls of olives and cornichons on the side.

If you're in the Bay area, you can order your raclette and a variety of dried cured meats from an artisan shop or Frenchery.com. Serve with a bowl of boiled baby potatoes and maybe even a salad. 

Easy. 

By the way, my French friend adds that you should be enjoying raclette with white wine. And end the meal with herbal tea. 

3/ Don't forget to create an atmosphere - a winter lodge or swiss chalet feel. You don't have to do much to your table setting, as your ingredients will be the star of the table. Light a fire in the fireplace, put on some cool music and you're all set. 

Bon Apetit!  

  

What shall I cook today: Miso Eggplant, Leek and Mushroom Noodles and Vegetable Sticks with Miso Dip

So with the new year, I've resolved to prepare more vegetables for my family. It's a sustainable meal and also much more healthy. Twice a week, I try to preparing vegetarian. I needed new recipes. Also, I just bought a huge tub of miso so I was looking for additional miso recipes.

LEEK AND MUSHROOM NOODLES
(Serves 2)
This meal is inspired with the leftover leek in my fridge.

2 cloves Garlic, sliced
1 Leek
Dried Mushrooms / Fresh Mushrooms
Spinach or Thinly sliced Swiss Chard or any other leafy greens
1 oz butter
Ramen or Egg Noodles
2 Tbsp Light Soya Sauce
1 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tbsp Sesame seeds
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1/ Thinly Slice veges
2/ Slice white part of leek thinly
2/ If using dried mushrooms, soak them in hot water
3/ Melt butter in wok. Add garlic
4/ Add leek, mushrooms and greens
5/ Add Soya sauce and mirin
(At this point you can set the veges aside and cook later)
When you're ready to eat,
6/ Boil noodles until al dente
7/ Add noodles to vegetables and stir fry for a short while until sauce is absorbed
8/ Sprinkle with sesame seeds

MISO GLAZED EGGPLANT
I found this recipe on Pickled Plum. I've adapted the recipe by omitting sugar.

4 Small eggplants or cut a large eggplant into 4 segments
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp Red Miso
2 Tbsp Light Miso
2 Tbsp Mirin
1 Tbsp Sake
1 tsp sugar or omit

1/ Cut a criss cross pattern on the inside of the eggplant.
2/ Put oil in a pan or wok on high heat. Put eggplant with the criss cross pattern downside first. Sear until brown.
3/ Turn the eggplants and put on a lid. Cook for further 3-4 minutes
4/ Combine all other ingredients to make the marinade sauce.
5/ Put eggplants on aluminium foil on top of a tray
6/ Glaze eggplants with marinade
7/ Put under broiler
8/ Sprinkle with sesame seeds

EASY VEGETABLE STICKS WITH MISO DIP
I always love this appetizer they serve in yakitori restaurants. The japanese always cook with color in mind and I also try and make vegetables appetizing for the family.

Crunchy Vegetables like carrots, daikon, cucumbers cut into similar sized sticks
Cabbage and Cos Lettuce would also be good
Light Miso 3-4 Tbsp
Lemon Juice (from 1/2 lemon)
Mirin (1 Tbsp)

1/ Prepare vegetables
2/ prepare sauce by combining the remaining ingredients. The lemon juice cuts the saltiness of the miso and add a touch of mirin.

Old Singapore - shophouses, coffeeshops and takeaway culture

Singapore is changing fast. Every time I visit this island, a new project is underway. This time round it was the National Art Gallery and the MCE tunnel (Marina Coastal Expressway). 

The latest wave of change in Singapore includes a host of artisan eateries and coffee shops.  Located in Jalan Besar, an industrial part of Singapore, Chye Seng Huat Hardware store is an unassuming shop front that hides a cool industrial cafe. Sipping on the gourmet coffees, one would think that coffee is a new introduction to the Singapore scene. 

However, Singapore's coffee and tea culture goes way back.

And every time I return to this island nation, I am drawn to the old Peranakan neighborhood of Katong where I grew up. I suppose beyond the confectionary colored shophouses and the food, I love Katong because there are still bastions that have stood the test of time...like Chin Mee Chin confectionary. 

With its 1950s decor still intact, Chin Mee Chin has stood the test of time. The confectionary is loved for it's 1950s style cakes and kaya toast. 

Prior to Starbucks, Singapore's take-away cups were in the form of these simple plastic bags. I remember drinking fanta and sprite on these at my school's tuck shop at recess. 

Another nostalgic takeaway cup with the takeaway tin. 

Local coffee can be enjoyed around the island at an affordable price. Coffee is still being brewed in pots with what locals popularly call the 'sock filter'. Muslin filter sieves out the ground coffee.  

Chin Mee Chin Coffee Shop
204 East Coast Road

Destination Yucatan

As a travel destination, Yucatan has it all. A range of hotels to fit every need (from luxury to budget, large scale to small scale); a range of activities (beach, cenotes, caves, jungle, Mayan ruins) and a lot of good food. Here's my recommendations for Yucatan.

Accommodation

Luxury All-Inclusive

If you have young kids and want to take advantage of the kids clubs, you can choose to  stay in an all-inclusive. For all-inclusives, the general rule of thumb applies - you pay for what you get. $600-1000 gets you a room at Finest Playa Mujeres, a luxury resort North of Cancun. It's newly built in 2015 and the furnishings are all good quality. (Hansgrohe taps, rain shower, jacuzzi bath in your balcony, etc) This was the view from our room. The resort was big enough to occupy you for at least a week. Added to that, everything from the landscaping to the  service was wonderful. They had 12 restaurants with decent food. We tried the Spanish Tapas and French restaurant and were not disappointed.  

More Affordable all-inclusives

There are more affordable all-inclusives. I took note of Secrets, a new all-inclusive resort located on beautiful Akumal Beach (Turtle Beach) We stayed at Sirens Riviera Maya, which had slightly dated rooms and facilities plus mass-market appeal. However, if you can overlook that, there are some nice things like their beach, their rooftop bar, where you can watch the sunset over the mangroves and the lazy 'river' where kids can sit on tubes and float around. I would not be going back to Sirens Riviera, mainly because the large-scale mass market hotels don't quite suit me. 

Boutique Hotels

Head down to Tulum for a more intimate experience. Boutique hotels dot the coastline of Tulum. Hotels like El Pez, Zebra Club, Mezzanine, Alaya are smack on the beach and have nice atmosphere. 

Beaches and Cenotes

Warm tropical azure blue waters, teeming with life. This is one of the reasons we chose have our vacation in Yucatan. The beach off Sirens Maya Riviera was great. They had a beautiful cove where fish would be swept in by the waves. You can stand a few meters from the shore and see schools of fish swimming around you. 

Tourists flock to Akumal Beach to swim amongst giant loggerhead and green turtles. I saw at least 10 giant turtles grazing on seagrass and I could almost touch them. There's hardly any waves on this stretch of beach so it's great for the kids. One downside is that it is super crowded so watch your valuables! 

Akumal Beach

My favorite beach hands down is Paradise Beach in Tulum. The sand was powder fine, the water was a beautiful blue and not too crowded! Extra bonus: lifeguards! 

Paradise Beach

When you're tired of the beaches, you can head to one of the many cenotes (underground sinkhole watering holes) Cenotes were considered by the Mayans to be sacred wells. These caves and underground rivers were created thousands of years ago. Gran cenote has something for everyone. For kids and snorkelers, they can explore the freshwater pools outside the caves and see fish and turtles. Serious divers can explore the surreal subterranean caves and admire the stalactites and stalagmites. Another cenote worth exploring is Yal Ku, a lagoon off Akumal (where fresh water meets salt water) and it's a great environment for kids to snorkel without waves. 

Entering Gran Cenote

Restaurants

There was no shortage of good eating places. There are many affordable seafood options in Akumal. 

We ate lunch at Lol Ha, a beachside restaurant with a big seafood menu. The deep fried grouper was fresh and crunchy, soft on the inside. Also at Akumal, Cueva Pescador is a great place to go local and enjoy Mexican food and seafood! We enjoyed a generous plate of ceviche for USD7.  

Mezzanine dishes up delicious Mexican breakfasts. The Chichen Itza breakfast consists of runny eggs on beans, roast potatoes and sausage crumble. You may not be a bean fan but this dish will win you over. For lunches and dinners. Mezzanine serves Thai dishes.

One of the upside of staying in small hotels is that you are more likely to explore local digs. We loved this small grocery filled with festive pinatas for the christmas celebration.

Downtown Tulum has a number of good restaurants too. La Estancia Jujena serves Argentinian meat and has a nice courtyard atmosphere.  

If you can your act together and reserve a table at Hartwood a month in advance, Tulum's farm to table restaurant, you certainly won't regret it. The restaurant recommends that you email them for reservations. An open-air restaurant helmed by New York expats, Hartwood specializes in seafood and food cooked over a woodfire. 

Unfortunately, we were not as organized this trip (the waiting list was 3 months in the Christmas season) So we opted for Kitchen Table and we had no regrets. As the name suggests, the 'Kitchen Table' is the center of activity in this small and excellent restaurant. The whole restaurant has a rustic 'open air' appeal to it. With a menu of 5 or 6 mains, your choice might be limited but be assured that all the dishes are excellent. We had the roasted octopus which was cooked to perfection, with slurpy gravy. And the pork ribs were delicious to the bone.   

Singapore Chilli Crab

It's the start of the dungeness crab season in the Bay Area. Last year, the dungeness crab season was closed due to domoic acid levels. This year, it's been given the go-ahead by the California Department of Public Health* (The dungeness crab season starts Nov 5, 2016 and ends July 30, 2017)

So I made my first crab dinner of the season. Listed number 35 on the World's 50 most delicious foods (compiled by CNN), Singapore Chilli Crab is a quintessential Singapore dish. As a girl,  I remember going to seafood restaurants by the beach, housed in bungalows, sitting in the garden enjoying the sea breeze and wonderful dishes like chilli crab, satay and black pepper crab.

In Singapore, Sri Lankan crab is used and it is a bigger and meatier version of its Dungeness cousin. The crabs are cooked with garlic and ginger, and simmered in a chilli tomato sauce. The sauce is so good as the juice of the crab gives the gravy its 'umami' flavor.  It is usually served with deep fried buns, to mop up the gravy.

Most Singaporeans don't make this dish as all they have to do is go to one of the many seafood restaurants in Singapore and order the dish. (Jumbo, Red House, No Signboard Seafood) but living in the Bay Area, one has to attempt the chilli crab dish at least once or twice during the crab season.

My Chilli Crab recipe is adapted from Christopher Tan's cookbook: Singapore Cooking 

6 Ibs Dungeness Crab
5 tsp oil
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced
8 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp minced ginger
5 Tbsp Siracha garlic chilli sauce
7 Tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1.5 cups water
3-4 eggs, beaten

1/ Cut the crab into quarters. (be sure to remove all the fibrous tissues) Crack the claws lightly with a pestle
2/ Heat oil over high heat in a large wok. Stir fry the onions until soft and transparent. Add garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant (be sure not to burn). Add crabs and stir fry until they turn bright red. This may be tricky with a lot of crabs and you may have to place a lid on top to cook the crab faster. Omit cooking the crab viscera (located at the head of the crab)*
3/ Add all the other ingredients except the eggs and cook for another 2-4 minutes. Make sure the crab is cooked. The meat should be opaque, not translucent and the shell should be red.
4/ At the end, stir the beaten eggs into the gravy so that it thickens and serve with buns to mop up the gravy.

* Note that the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) advises that consumers not eat the viscera (internal organs, also known as butter or guts) of crabs caught north of Point Reyes. So if your fishmonger can't tell you where the crabs were caught, it's better to be safe and omit the viscera during cooking. CDPH Shellfish Biotoxin Information Line (800) 553-4133 for updated crab consumption advisories.