Eat with locals

Withlocals.com was launched 3 months ago. Their aim is to connect locals directly with travellers through food & experiences. They would love travellers to experience the real local tradition & not only the touristic ones, & give local people the possibility to earn money with things they are good at! Their main vertical Eat with locals is about travellers eating at a local families home, to taste the real culture & really connect with the local family. It is through this way that tourist can truly experience the real culture &  lifestyle.

 

I am honoured to be offered a local meal by Withlocals. Being a Thai food lover, I chose to have 'Thai cuisine in Singapore' by host Nadya over the weekend.

To be honest, it was not without apprehension when the day arrived for the lunch, what are we going to talk about, will there be the dreaded awkward silence throughout the meal...

Well all I can say is that all my worries were for nothing. Nadya is a very hospitable host and we had a great time at her place, talking about everything under the sun. She also had a friend, Yolanda who accompanied us for the lunch. And to my surprise, we are both nurses. Nadya was an Indonesian who has been living in Singapore for more than a decade, so she can really give us an overview of how foreigners view Singapore and of course how Singaporeans view the world, making it an interesting conversation. And the food, where to start, only one word to describe, it was fantastic!

We started off the meal with a classic street food as appetiser, Tod Mon Pla (Thai fishcake) where she added chopped long beans inside the fishcake. It pairs very well with her homemade sweet sauce. Yummy. 

We were served a second appetiser, tahu isi (deep fried tau pok with stuffed vegetables). This was another winner. From the first look, we thought it was simply deep fried bean curd. When biting into it, the crunchiness and lightness of the bean sprouts burst into my mouth. Simply can't stop digging into this.

 There was also this crunchy salad, with cucumber, carrot, tomato and onion with a light sour sauce. Great way to whip up the appetite.

Next up was the main course, Tom Kai Gai (Chicken curry) served with white rice. It does resembles the taste of tom yum soup due to the ingredients added. This curry is not spicy, best for folks who cannot take spicy food. (if you do like spicy food, do let Nadya know in advance so she can pack it with a punch).

 

And lastly for dessert, we have the Khao Niaow Ma Muang (sticky mango rice). Pairing the mangos with the sweet sticky rice and savoury coconut milk yummm.... Perfect match!

It was a perfect homely lunch with great company. Nadya, Yolanda, great knowing both of you today.

And to the rest reading this, we highly recommend to visit Nadya. Whether it is your first time to get to know Thai food or to have a great time discussing and understanding Singapore with Nadya.

Matcha Delight

Matcha Delight

(Recipe adapted & modify slightly from HHB) 

Ingredients:

Sponge fingers

Filling:

(A)
250g cream cheese
2 Tbsp icing sugar
1 Tbsp Cointreau + 1 Tbsp matcha powder + 1 Tbsp water

(B)

200g non-dairy whipping cream 

Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk ingredients (A) together.

2. In another bowl, whisk ingredient (B) until stiff peak. With a spatula, fold in whipped cream to (1).

Potato Doughnuts

Potato Doughnuts  

(Recipe adapted from carol) 

Ingredients:

270g bread flour

30g plain flour

100g mashed potato

10g milk powder

1 egg

1/2 tsp yeast

70ml water

30g sugar

40g oil

*Direct Method

Blogger Chef Workshop

Lessons Go Where is Singapore’s first online marketplace for FUN lessons! They aim to provide users with a one-stop online location to select and book, as well as compare & review the widest selection of recreational lessons in Singapore, across all areas of interest & different vendors. They have a large variety of lessons & courses such as sports, music, cooking & baking.

Yes, you heard me right~ baking! Once in a while, they will bring in a guest chef to spice things up a little! I am pleased to be one of the guest chefs to launch a workshop in June. I will be sharing my signature patterned swiss roll with beginners.

Date: 8 June 2014, Sunday
Time: 10 - 12pm
Venue: The Baking Loft
Do sign up here & join us for this fun workshop if you are new to baking =)

Whoopie Pie

Whoopie Pie   

(Recipe adapted & modify slightly from Carol)   

Ingredients:
60g salted Liv butter
30g sugar
1 egg
65g plain flour
15g cocoa powder
20g almond powder

Fillings - ganache

Method:
1. Whisk butter & sugar till pale in colour.
2. Add in egg & whisk till combined.
3. Add in plain flour, cocoa & almond powder & mix until combined.
4. Pipe batter into rounds onto a pan lined with baking paper.
5. Bake in a preheated oven @ 160C for 20mins.

Carrot Muffins

Carrot Muffins  

(Recipe adapted & modify slightly from Joy Of Baking) 

175g plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

120g walnuts chopped
60g dessicated coconut   
2 large eggs
90g brown sugar
160ml oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
225g finely grated carrots 

Ingredients : 
1. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda & salt. Fold in the chopped walnuts. 
2. In another large bowl whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Add in sugar, oil & vanilla extract.
3. Fold in dessicated coconut & carrots. Then fold this mixture into the flour mixture until incorporated.  
4. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake @ 160C for 24mins.

I Heart You!

 Celebrating my 6th wedding anniversary today *^_^*

Orange Rice Chiffon Cake

(Recipe adapted & modify slightly from Vivian pang Kitchen)   

Ingredients:
(A)
3 egg yolks
40g vegetable oil
50ml mandarin orange juice
1 Tbsp Cointreau

(B)
60g plain flour  

30g rice flour

(C)
3 egg whites
60g sugar 

Method: 
1. Combined ingredients (A) together. 

2. Sift in ingredients (B) into (A). Mix till smooth.
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites till frothy. Add sugar gradually & beat until stiff.
4. Fold in 1/3 of the whites into the yolk mixture till well incorporated. Pour in the remaining egg whites & fold gently till well combined.
5. Pour into desired mould. Bake in a preheated oven @ 160C for 40mins.

Happy Mother's Day

 

 

Peppa Pig Family

Today is sis pig's birthday.

 

 She celebrated her birthday with her family....

Mama Pig....

 Bro Pig....

and Papa Pig

in their Peppa Pig family's car. They had an enjoyable afternoon shopping for sis pig's presents

before heading back home *^_^*

Silician Orange Cake

This post is sponsored by LIV butter. Try a Liv butter today!

Sicilian Orange Cake 

(Recipe adapted & modify from Jess kitchen)  

Ingredients:
250g Liv unsalted butter, softened
150g caster sugar
3 eggs 
2 oranges zest
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
120ml freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2tsp Rum

Method:
1. Using an electrical beater, cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy.
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the orange zest & rum. Add the flour all at once & mix well, then slowly mix in the orange juice.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven @ 170C for 50mins.