Bon Appetite! (part 1)

Yes, I love home-cook, whatever it may be, I love them all!

On Saturday, I had the privilege to be invited by friends to their lovely homes for home-cook tasting. Afternoon was an European fare. Evening was authentic British delights.

My friends invited me to their son’s one year birthday brunch. After a shopping spree to get a gift for the birthday boy, I was on my way to the feast.

Arriving at the door step of my friends’ home, I could smell the aroma of bread, fresh from the oven. “Hey, Esther is here”, the baby’s Mum greeted me at the door. I was one of the early birds.

It was ciabattas that was dished out. Like a big fluffy pillow, soft and spongy, lazily lying on a wooden board, golden surface with a light sheen. My eyes followed through till I came to the table of a hearty fare. There were ratatouille, pizza, mash potato, chicken, quiche... “Chilli-corn is on the way”, the chef had a busy morning.

“Shall we begin?” I found a good seat by the table and helped myself to everything except for their “backup plan”. The ratatouille looked mellowed, but the bright capsicums added some life to the dish. The moment I tasted it, I knew I have under-estimated it... “Pardon me but you really tasted fantastic!!” This dish was prepared the night before, left in the fridge and was heated on that day. Every bit of the squash was full and rich in flavour. Soft but not marshy. The juice of every squash complimented one another. With merely a little herbs and salt, this mix of squash tasted sweet and juicy.

Next, I moved on to the chicken. I love the peppered aroma. I took a bite on its tenderness and realized the taste of ratatouille was so overwhelm, I could not sense the chicken! Perhaps the chicken needed more time to marinate? Or perhaps I should have started on the chicken first?

The ciabatta waited long. From a lazy big slap of pillow, it now turned into golden square blocks ready to be served. It was soft and smooth to touch. Smell of oven bread and a little herbs. I pinched the side and dipped it into tomato puree mix. Nice! Then I decided to do without the sauce. Nicer!! Its chewy and soft at the same time. Feel so homely at every bite!

The next wonderful discovery was the ham quiche. The huge indents on its edge of the crust, like huge finger prints, gave it away. It was easy to cut into triangles. The texture looked firm, like those of almond jelly, if you know what i mean. It has a rich flavour of egg and cheese. Some of the stripes of ham were slightly crisp which gave this quiche an additional credit. When I was done with it, I could not leave my eyes off the smaller quiches, I wanted to pack it home!

The drinks came as a pleasant surprise. The lemon-grass was crashed and squeezed, its juice was mixed with sweetening, added some crushed ice and water. It was totally delightful! Instant thirst quencher with a lovely fragrance. I had to have a few more cups in such a hot weather.

The rest of the dish was unforgettable. I had to remind myself not to hurt my belly since i have another feast in the evening.

“Thanks for your hospitality. I have to go to my friend’s house now”. I bid my friends farewell and head on to the Brits.

(About the ciabattas, the touch and smell of it is so heavenly you just wanted to lay your head on it like you would on a pillow! Yes, its THAT soft and fluffy! I would love to have one for myself, lying my head and chew on it at the same time!)

A Day of Script, Wake & Beach

April 26 seemed like an ordinary day for many. But for me, it was rather fruitful.

Morning at about 9am, I have agreed to help a couple-friends to complete their video shoot for their wedding clips. After breakfast, we adjourned to Kallang River along Rochor to have the video done. They needed the natural light for the shoot, which hence we will be scorched under the fierce sun. Like any professional shooting, each take will be repeated umpteen times till satisfaction. The couples were well prepared and fully equipped. There were gigantic prints of scripts! And this supposedly hidden microphone, despite of its size, picks up sound effectively. “Mic test, 1,2,3... Mic test 1,2,3...” sounds good. They positioned me, facing the sun, against the Singapore Flyer. Take one, action! The camera started to pan... then stopped at where I stood. “Begin!” the director whispered. I was nervous but managed to read from the huge prints displayed next to the camera. “Cut! Well done. Let’s try again” And so it went on for hours. The fun thing about video clips is watching the N.G; whenever we forgot our simple lines we rolled our eyes; when we were about to finish the last bit, cuckoos were heard from the background or the roaring cheers from the dragonboats... oh well, I guess it happens.

Time to wrap up. We had sometime to chill out at a cafe when I received two beeps, both telling me that they were not able to make it for wakeboarding. Great, now we were down with 2 people. But the weather proves to be a great day to miss out on the action. The weather-man had announced it will shower but look, the sun was victorious!

After they sent me home, my wakeboarding friend came to pick me up. He came in a mercedes vintage sedan, quite a contra to the boyish beach-boy ragged-look of the driver. “Yoh!” his usual grin. “Hi, we gotto head to Yishun to pick up the rest now,” I got to interrupt before, I imagine, he starts to rap.

The weather was indeed perfect! I have to repeat this: it was suppose to pour but lo and behold, other than seeing some dense clouds approaching, it did NOT rain! Thank God!!

We had two boats to ourselves, four passengers to each boat which turned out that we had more boat time! Most of us withstood the ski and were able to sustain the stance. We had 2 hours of splashing good time!

Then a friend called from Sentosa. An arrangement was made to watch jazz concert. So off we went, zoomed in two cars to the island that never sleeps.

After dinner and seeing the concert, we took a stroll along the cool breezy beach. Nice!!

I like the impromptu arrangement, unexpected but pleasantly surprised (although I’m not the sort who appreciate surprises) And just as I wish for another fruitful outing, another arrangement was made for the following weekend! Oh wow! I could not be asking for more...

(Back to the video clips, the big day for our appearance on national silver screen would be in June, hahaha! So stay tuned!)

Welcome back!

Ok ok... I was MIA since late February, with legitimate excuses; busy with work, tiredness, meeting new people and of course, hanging out with them and getting to know them better.

I must thank one of my mentors (she does not know I see her as one). In her recent letter to me when she found me in Facebook, that line which was aptly written “I enjoyed your blog. You write really well, Esther. How come I never knew???” My mentor, one whom I look up to, said that to me? It spurs me alright! I think such assurance delivers a sheer sense of confidence to anyone.

Yes, many things have happened in March and April, natural disasters to name a few. Having learnt and felt for the many things that happened recently, I guess it’s natural that I would take a break from blogging for a while, taking time out to ponder, catching the news and hoping for the best to happen.

Many companies are putting effort together to raise funds for the disaster-affected countries. One of them, with no name mentioned, implemented a scheme, a-dollar-for-a-dollar scheme, in which case where a donor gives $100, this company will double the fund. Sounds legitimate for a bank?

It’s heart-warming to see countries coming together to help one another instead. Does it have to take an “uncontrollable wrath” to display humanity? Isn’t it great when acts of humanity is shown on a regular basis, unseen?

The lame line revived!

Semi-formal. No t-shirts and jeans. Ladies, no pants. Now, whats there left in my wardrobe? Ah-ha, pretty blouses and skirts. "Wear dresses" echoed in my head "Nah.. its SEMI-formal, not formal" i was a little hesitant. But what should i match with this blue skirt? Ah... whack it! I shall heed the still small voice. I took my knee-length dress; red, black and white twirly prints. Perfect!

I was looking forward to dinning in a Mississippi Steamboat of the 1800's... the replica, of course. In my previous experience at the other events, its always the girl who will approach the guys instead. "Hi, my name is..." the lame old lines? Haha.. What has the world become! I decided to let it passed.

I saw it from afar, the nostalgic ferry waiting by the dock. It has a gigantic wheel that kept turning. I went nearer, it was an awesome vessel! Gracefully, i tried to slow down on a slight slope that stretched to the door. There, an anticipating line of people, queuing for the registration desk. I tried to peep into the restaurant, the tables were set, there were already some people standing inside. Then came two little angels! Yes, i meant it literally! These two winged-children, dressed in white satin with white feathery holly, were quite an attraction! The boy angel came forward, shyly he passed me a rose. "Oh thanks! You are so sweet!" he blushed, looking down and toddled into the crowd. That was the first surprise.

It did not take long before it was my turn to register my name and collect the wine voucher. Now, here came the second surprise. I walked towards the foyer in the restaurant, and in less than 5 seconds, this gentleman came. "Hi, my name is..." Wow! I thought that was suppose to be my line! I found out that he was one of the organisers. Ok, maybe he was trying to warm up the guest. But still, that sure was a start of a good impression. "Hey, we need you here..." a voice came from behind him. "Sorry, i gotto excuse myself" he was extremely polite. I smiled to acknowledge his dismissal (wow! that was classic!)

Then, the third surprise. "Hi, my name is..." I turned around, and there stood this guy with his hand extended for a welcome. This time, i got my name printed on a sticker pasted on my shoulder. "Hi, i'm Esther" showing him my name as well. A conversation took place and it was well enough to last till almost all the guest have arrived. We parted to take our seats at our assigned tables.

While waiting at the buffet, there was even time to catch up with an old friend. He later introduced his friend who was also in the queue. The then two persons' conversation became three. Thanks to pal, i would be left stranded in a queue if not for this.

Dinner was a Mexican spread. Yummy! My favourite being the Fajitas. Simple mixed of marinated meat and vegetables wrapped in tortillas with salsa. "Esto Es Delicioso, Mis Amigos!" was the sound in my soul! If i have to sing praises, it had to be in Mexican that day!

After dinner, came the "social rotations". There were 3 rounds. All went well. The guys were great. They were smiley, polite, some were funny, some even brought us drinks! I do not remember a moment of awkwardness. Everyone seemed spontaneous.

Time for the performing talk-show. She has a great voice for jazz. The lyrics were changed to suit the occassion, it was hilarious. She could have passed off as a stand-up comedian if not for the occasional explicit vocal? Oh well...

We ended the entire evening with praise and worship. We exchanged contacts, took a quick tour around the lovely boat, had a few snapshots, and went our seperate ways.

The breeze was exceptionally soothing and comforting. I may not know if it was the surprising turn out, the sumptuous spread, or the wine. But it was a sheer delight to see and experience a good change. Gone are the folded-arms, staying aloof and reserved, huddle among the same, watching from a distance. It was a welcome hand, cordial approach and open conversation, willing to step out of the usual zone, up close and personal exchange.

Could it be the work of my dress? I certainly not hope so. But incase it was, i would have to thank the still small voice who could be reading this. Gracias Amigo!

(Event was held on Sat 16 Feb 08)

Valentine's bumps

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."
- William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream.

"Is that the reason why some cupids have bumps on their heads?
Because they may have flown to the walls?" - anonymous ;)

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"What is in a name?
That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

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"The course of true love never did run smooth".
- William Shakespeare

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Behind Time

How is it like if you live behind time? Will you be forgotten? What about 16 hours behind our local time? Haha... this can only happen when you are away. Or how about going overseas when everybody else had to start work? Would you not look forward to the week then?

I jot this on Sunday 11.30pm, last day and last moment to savor my CNY holidays. Feeling a little melancholy, i had to pack and get ready for an avalanche of battle that will resumed tomorrow. Don't you just love working!!!!!

This CNY, i managed the break my own record in Messenger. I was chatting in the wee hours of the day! Something i have never done before. For some instance, it was like a maranthon! But i enjoyed it very much. Chatting in the wee hours of the day, when everybody else is asleep, cool weather, even the air seems calm. The night slow you down to reflect on the day's event, the many things that happened around you and in you, its the moment you chew on your thoughts and perhaps to share them with your friends?

I am grateful for the ones "listening" via my messenger most of the time. Even by just being there, you will drop by. So for that, big thanks!

Tomorrow will be the start of battle. With work immersed into your life, it consumed all of your energy and time. By the end of the work day, you are left with your skeleton, struggling your way home only to plonk yourself down on the charger (bed) and get yourself fully charged up for the next day again (when you have enough sleep that is). And this pattern will go on for the entire week, then months... till the next public holiday comes, or better still, a long public holiday!

I am also thankful for hillsongs, by listening to STILL, it brings me so much comfort (and sometimes tears), its one of my solace in the midst of the battle day, or battle to come. May the Lord grant us strength and grace as we face the day of work and more work! Ahhhhh.... men!

Lets Loh-Hei!!!

It was slight drizzle on Saturday around 5pm. My friend and his "troupe" were on their way to have dinner at my beloved sister's zhi-cha stall. She was overwhlemed!

Before hand, we had a discussion. "Do you think below $15 per pax would be sufficient?" I was trying to be the middle-woman. "Its more than enough! Why? Are your friends huge eaters??" On one hand, i was concerned that the dishes may not be enough, and on the other, i did not want my sister to oblige into charging us lesser just because i am her younger sister. It had to be fair.

So, there came about 18 diners, all chatting and wondering. After a while of wait, we were all seated at 2 tables. The yu-sheng came first. We hold our chop-sticks, took our positions, "Ready.. Get set.. GO!" and all of us tossing the sashimi salad up and up we go! Yes, the higher you toss, the better. At each toss, we will say some well-wishes, "Hope the stock market doesn't crash!" "Big Bonus for everyone this year!" "Be at the top condition for our health and beauty!"... You can say anything that edifies and bless someone at the table. Of course, the higher we toss, the more food will scatter around the table... It was a colourful mess!

We repeated the motion for over 1 minute. Then when its about done, we sat back down and started to scope from the mess that's left on the plate. It tasted wonderful! Great for the taste and sweet for the soul!

Gradually, the main dishes started zooming from behind us. Then the great bowl of staple appear. It was almost like a hill! "Wow... so much?" i heard my friend muttered.

We ate and chat and ate and chat... then came the cocktail which was on the house. "Thats nice of your sis", one turned to me said. I felt so warm within.

Time to get the bill. "So cheap? You sure your sister did not under quote us?" Nope, i did not think so. I thought she added more on the plates and definitely much more in the bowl...! The feedback i received from my friends on the food is that they loved the cereal prawns, the prawn-paste chicken wings with sweet-n-sour sauce (this was my sister's lastest invention!), yam-ring among other dishes.

Well, do feel free to pass the word around to your friends and contacts about her stall. This is one way to bless her in return. Words of mouth travel fast and far.

We had drinks again at mac which was across the road. I realised this has became a "practice"; after a gathering at one location, we will move on to another place for the same gathering. And like it or not, it seems like a "B'rians-tradition"... i guess this is what makes us unique?