Cigala 59/365

Not too much to update today, except that I might have found the chilled-out alternative to Caminos. I must have walked by Cigala (which by the way, means Langoustines) at least a hundred times on my way to the Rugby Tavern for after work drinks but I've never noticed this corner stop. Good sized paella, flavourful starters, yummy chorizos, excellent tortillas (and I am quite picky about my egg and potatoes), and a really stunning whiskey ice cream cake to finish.

Note to self: Learn how to make Higado a la jerezana - pan-fried chicken livers with caramelized onions and Pedro Ximenez sherry. It was the star of the evening! 

And here's to the end of February. Golly, time's passing really quickly this year!

Cigala
54 Lambs Conduit Street,
Russell Square,
London, WC1N 3LW

Dinner by Heston 58/365

Now I know it is a big Asian thing to take lots of pictures of their food, in various states of undress, or should I say, consumption. Someone has asked me to post photos of my food when I write about them. 'It makes the recipe look more delicious' they say.

Now you'd probably wonder, ok so why is Han putting up a photo of a kumquat with some sticks of toast in the background? I must say, as with every other person who has been to Dinner,

This is no ordinary kumquat.

Say hello to Meat Fruit, a little piece of magic by Mr Heston Blumenthal. A sublime chicken liver parfait wrapped in a sweet mandarin jelly. Traditionally in the kitchen of Mr Mo's grandmother, foie gras was always paired with quince jelly. So this was a clever morsel of culinery delight -- creamy, flavourful, and honestly, pretty amazing.

I was sat next to a lovely Mel to whom I was lamenting about my impending food envy as the serving staff popped out with trays of beautifully plated food which were a real visual treat!! As we had a seating for 6, we ended up playing musical plates on our round table. Without delving into a mega picture spam, the winners were as follows.

 

The Meat Fruit (c.1500) won hands down in creativity. Rice and Flesh (c.1390) came a close second as a visual treat (gold (from saffron) and burgandy (possibly from red wine?) is always a winning combination colour wise!

In terms of flavour, the Salamagundy (c.1720) was what I could only call 'chicken-y' but packed full of flavour.

The Broth of Lamb (c.1730) and Savoury Porridge (c. 1660) tasted familiar and oddly reminded me of my God mother's cooking flavours (but obviously with much more precision and complexity in flavour). Comforting and homely, the Savoury Porridge (which was done with cod cheeks, a twist on the Fat Duck's reknowned snail porridge) flooded me with my first memories of my mother's spinach and parsley 'chok'.

Slight digression here but, what I wanted to say really was --- the starters were STUNNING.

For mains, we divided and conquered - Spiced Pigeon (c. 1780) and Beef Royal (c. 1720). The spiced pigeon, as Mel and I agreed that the texture and look of the pigeon was -- almost rare, but it was the smoothest and tastiest pigeon I've had by far. It has a good bite and is rather chewable at first (without being tough or stringy), but melts onto your tongue within seconds. I know, all these descriptions might not sound palatable.  Perfectly cooked!!

The Beef Royal ---- 72 hours Slow Cooked Short Rib of Angus, Smoked Anchovy and Onion Puree, Ox Tongue. Need I say more?

We rounded up the afternoon circa 2011 at 430 pm with yet another round of musical desserts. Pretty colours on a plate they were --- the deep purple of blackcurrent, pastel pink of rhubarb, the sandy colour of salted caramel, and the deep rich chocolate brown (all not on the same plate of course!!)

My winners for the final course was the pineapple tipsy cake (which Goz said tasted somewhat like kaya...) and the brown bread ice cream. The rest of the desserts were very clever in tastes, but far too experimental for me. This course cemented my preference for slightly more traditional flavours in my pudding.

With that, I leave you with the amazing pineapple spit roast, turned uniformly by a ginormous mechanical contraption designed by famed watched maker Ebel. Very rustic and traditional!

My fellow diners informed me that Dinner was in itself a very different dining experience (sensorily and wallet wise) from its world acclaimed brother. While I have not been to the Fat Duck, this was to my mind, a sneak preview of the aesthetic skill, culinery cleverness and creativity that Mr Blumenthal and his team possess.

Dinner was, as my friend Goz assured me, nothing short of excellent.

(photo credits: Goz of http://www.plusixfive.wordpress.com/)



Lazy Saturdays 57/365

Serpentine @ Hyde Park

I have probably gone on far too much about my love-hate relationship with London in this blog. Presented with a sunset as magnifcent as this, I was momentarily at a loss for words.

It's mother nature at her best, really.

L.O.V.E..I.T.

My secret ah lian fantasy 56/365

Friday saw me quite exhausted from a week fighting the flu and having to oblige certain social events. Thursday night saw us trooping down to the MCM boutique in Sloane Square for an event. MCM...golly, the name brings back secondary school memories of patent belts, yellow jeans, crystal embellishments and white loafers.

Remember this logo??

The brand (as I was told by the manager) is now owned by a self-made Korean businesswomen. They are a very well established brand in the Asian markets (clearly leaving a very lasting memory from my point of view at least!), they are trying to raise the same awareness in Europe.

They released a new Shanghai collection a few months ago and it's loud bright and cheery, encompassing every colour you can think of for summer, think HELLO LOUD! Very cute indeed! But like a gorgeous, overwhelming piece of pop art on display in a gallery that I could admire for hours on end, I'm still not so sure if I'd ever take it home.

Pain Au Chic 55/365

Credit: http://www.pedlars.co.uk/

'The Chanel of the Bread Bin World'

Every Wednesday, I look forward to having a copy of the Stylist shoved into my hands by the little Asian men who valiantly wave copies of them about. My favourite page as always, is The Stylist List. This cute little mini bread bin caught my eye.

Now in my life, people who know me well also know that store bought sliced bread are often disposed off unwrapped, baguettes gone hard (I sometimes make croutons), other breads 'lao hong' ('lost air' as the chinese would say). The bread bin was my ultimate bread mortuary.

It was not until I passed through the towns in Liguria last summer that I fell in love with the local foccacia tossed in an abundance of olive oil and salt that allowed you to imagine of nothing more than olive branches waving delightfully at the salty sea over the cliffs. Coupled with the fluffiness of the bread, bronzed crispiness of the skin, sultry flavours dancing on your palette... ... ok I might be getting carried away here. It's bread we're talking about!

With renewed rigour, I sought out and tested several bread recipes when I came back. But without a bread machine, kneading can sometimes be a real pain when you're not in the mood for it! An Italian once told me that foccacia was one of the few breads that required very little handling and true to his word, it was one of the easiest (and most tasty!) breads I've tested out. I originally used a mish mash of recipes for Foccacia alla Ligure from the internet and tried several versions -- I've finally found this combination to be a winner (for me at least :)).

This is the plain version and you can wing it with olives, ham, sundried tomatoes (a favourite in our household!), rosemary, garlic or cheese. This serves 3-4.

2.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or organic white bread flour)

3/4 of a pack of easy bake yeast (about 5g. each pack normally has 7g)

3/4 table spoon

1/2 cup tepid water (plus extra as needed)

2-3 drizzles (or 1/8 cup) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the bowl.

Method:

1. Mix flour, yeast and tablespoon of salt together with a spatula (or food processor if you have one).

2. dribble and mix in the 1/2 cup of tepid (warm) water slowly.

3. drizzle one generous ribbon of olive oil around the dough and mix in. 

4. Add a little more warm water and mix in to form a soft dough (about 1 minute). At this point, you should be able to scrape the dough away from the sides of the bowl and it will be quite elastic (and a little sticky). If too sticky, dust a little more flour in. If too dry, drip a little warm water in.

5. Oil the side of the mixing bowl, you can use the same bowl as the dough would have come away and the bowl will be quite clean. Using your hands which are oiled with some olive oil, shape the dough into a ball.

6. place a tea towel over the bowl and let it rise in a warm place (I usually put my next to the radiator) for about 2 hours. It should double in size. 

7. Take the dough out of the bowl, flatten it and knead it for 1 minute (not too vigourously!). Three or four folds and kneads will do, just to exercise the dough. Pull into three-four balls and wrap with clingfilm. Place in the fridge overnight. (or you can cook them at this point as well but refrigeration somehow gives fluffier results, as I have discovered by accident)

8. Take dough out of the fridge and let it rest for 30 mins. Press and push each ball of dough flat into desired shape (I usually shape it like a pita bread).  Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

9. In a small bowl, whisk together 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of tepid water. Drizzle over the dough. Let the dough sit for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Dimple the dough with your fingers and at this point, add the topping you desire. I usually sprinkle some coarse sea salt over the dough at this point.

10. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp. 

The caveat of this recipe is that it probably uses less olive oil than the traditional foccacia and is thus less fatty. I guess I could indulge myself once in a while with a greasy sumptuous treat which makes the bread softer but I find that the oily bread (as with most other greasy foods) don't keep as well for the following day.  The bread is great the next day as well (with a couple of minutes in the oven to warm up) with proscuitto or cured meats. :)  I have also used this as a pizza base.

Now. I think I have a very good reason to acquire my little Wesco bread bin.

It's one of those days 54/365

:]

The little things 52 and 53 /365

I am minded today to give thanks for the little things in life.

News arrived yesterday that a dear friend who has been battling cancer for the last 3 years is now in critical condition and my thoughts are with Yuko and the rest of his family. Whilst I will be sad to lose him forever, it is perhaps the best form of release for him from his pain. I am then so embarassed to be ranting and raving over being ripped off £200 by Iceland Air. What is that? In the bigger scheme of things? A purse ? 3 dresses ? A fancy dinner ?

On another note, I cleared Module A of the DipFM so it is onwards and forth on to the next one. LSBF, pick up your !"£$£"! phone and answer your emails!
I am humbled today.

Black Swan 51/365

Magnificent cinematography with a good non-hollywoody twist. It was such an intense movie it really should have had some sort of a caveat that this movie is not for the faint hearted.

I'd say I loved the filming, the acting and the set. I can't say very much for the story line but I can see how it took Darren Aronofsky 10 years to plan this movie.

This critic from the Telegraph pretty much sums it up:  "This kind of euphoric, unstable filmmaking is a rare commodity. It’s fundamentally silly, but silliness with passion and conviction, silliness of such relentless, giddying abandon, silliness so fervently played out that it approaches a barmy transcendence."

My first memory of Swan lake was in the form of a VHS cartoon. It was quite a dark story to watch as a child but I'd say it is a ballet that I'd love to watch on stage one day. ROH -- please bring it back soon!

Ottolengi afternoons @ angel 50/365

fallen into the trap of online shopping again!! 48 and 49/365

need.to.stop!

London loves trouble. 47/365

" The Bank of England has downgraded its growth forecast for the country in its latest quarterly Inflation Report and warned inflation will rise sharply this year. " - The Telegraph.

Looking through those glass windows from across the road, frankly, what the knnb are they doing in there?!?! !?

Longing 46/365

春

Aujourd'hui, je suis sans mots.

the big V 45/365

As with most other females who blog, I'd puff up my chest and say 'we don't celebrate valentine's day'.

No we don't. Except that Mr Mo (coincidentally or otherwise) makes the effort to be in London on the 14th each year (except 2007 where we spent it together in paris, alongside a very tearful chinese new year on my part).

This evening was a funny one. Now there is a florist parked outside our tube station and it was pitter pattering down with rain (so everyone including myself scuttled for cover). There were men, of every shape and size and colour, JOSTLING to purchase the last five bouquets of roses perched under the canvas tent. Those sad roses battered from the rain, for 30 quid each! Unbelievable!! Well, better punch a man to the ground over a bunch of flowers rather than incur the wrath of the potential receiver waiting at home I say.

Girls girls... what power you have !

Squash 44/365

The gym. The place I love to hate and hate to love. We had a great game of squash today with the housemates and Mr Mo (who spent 45 mins on the ellipse machine [secret hurrah!] because it allowed him to watch rugby) followed by tay do at the usual haunt which does an amazing kopiko iced coffee. The evening was complete with Monty Python's Life of Brian and pineapple tarts. That my friends, is a normal Sunday (enjoyed internationally) at its best. :D

Weekends 43/365

Mr Mo visited this weekend and we made our annual winter pilgrimage to Camden (with his friends in tow).  If I haven't noted this already , Camden Town seems to be a popular place for our visitors across the channel. Walk along the streets and you hear smatterings of French cooing at just about everything in sight. Mr Mo tells me it is because this sort of market with its congregation of the goths and punks of London does not exist in France. Clearly the Parisians prefer their rastafarian haistyles, fishermen's pants and Vans skate shoes to mohawks, leather and platform boots. That is not to say of course that we do not have the former here in the UK.  Whilst the world wax lyricals about how Paris is the most beautiful city in the world (it certainly is a forerunner in the quest for the most romantic one), London to me is certainly most beautiful (and ugliest sometimes :( ) in its quirky little way, just like that box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.

The big workout 42/365

So. In my trip back home, my sister and xiao gu told me that I need to lose some weight. 8 kilos to be exact. Where on earth am I going to find 8 kilos to lose? And wherein lies the motivation to do so? Suffice it to say, with the warning of 'if you are what you are now, just imagine what you will be after you have kids!', 'jie, i think hor you are getting slightly obese. You have bulges!', and walking next to my little sister feeling like an absolute dumpling, I jumped on the treadmill this morning (the first day I've beaten my fatigue to crawl out of bed in the morning) and tested out Meijie's interval training technique.

Huffing and puffing on the treadmill for just a measly 30 minutes at 8am isn't great. Ok I know it's already late for all the morning gym bunnies and while I don't feel any lighter, I do feel better. At least, it feels like my blood is circulating throughout my body. Frankly, I think it might be easier to delude myself and just walk on the streets of London. I feel THAT much skinnier here.

nb. 

Summer Rose 41/365

Here's a photo of the smiliest baby ever. Is there such a word as 'smiliest'?

Ok, i'll settle for happiest baby ever. SR you probably don't know it yet but EVERYONE adores you!

人日 40/365

Today marks the 7th day of the lunar new year - Happy birthday to all human kind! Traditionally, we'd have lo hei in the office and at home. These days, lo hei takes place all throughout the 14 days of the new year. Tonight I met the usual group, to celebrate some fabulous news of one of us moving to San Francisco in the months to come. We trooped down to Rasa Sayang wanting to lo hei with the friends who didn't go home for CNY this year. Alas, admist the char kway teow, sting ray, hor fun etc....we forgot about lo hei but did have some really crummy tasting nian gao. Jas, i'm still waiting for yours!!!

It was all in all a brilliant mid week highlight to an otherwise morose and lethargic (and not to mention, busy!) week. two more days to the weekend, and February is already zipping by.

Coming home 38-39/365

Now I know I made a new year resolution to myself to write an entry on a daily basis but there just isn't enough hours in a day to do so. I arrived back in London yesterday morning at 7am and stumbled back into the office all bleary-eyed. The return home was difficult as I didn't get to see alot of friends this time around. More importantly, I wished I had a little more time to spend at home with family. I was very grateful to my little XX for taking time off from her work to spend at home with mom and dad, and me of course! I didn't stay home enough as I had to pao tai to several different places! As for XR, she was preparing to embark on her exchange in Italy. Trust me, this little girl worries me like no one can. That said, I constantly remind myself that she is an adult now and is no longer the wide eyed curly haired 8 year old that I fondly remember her as. As difficult as it may be, I try not to be the big sister to her (who regretfully isn't always there) but also a friend. She's got some really great years ahead of her and truth be told, I am always secretly proud of my both my sisters and my friends will vouch that I boast about them on many an occassion. :)

Ok now, back to the grindstone, before I collapse on my keyboard.

The Year of the Rabbit 29-37/365

Pre-CNY: 1 Feb

除夕

It's been a long time since I've taken a walk in the nurseries with the family in the wake of the new year. This year we made our annual pilgrimage to the Hougang nurseries with my nippon uncle and auntie to admire the flowers in bloom, haggle over pricey kumquat pots, natter over birdlike flowers and marvel at the variety of wares on display. Mom had already done all her shopping as always, so while she admired the orchids and crysanthemums all round, she was secretly gleeful that all her pots were 'so much better'.

初二

this time around in Tangkak, we met up with the entire family and as always, there is always some sort of dvd marathon ongoing, this time it was the Romance of Three Kingdoms. We may have missed the lion dance, but we definitely didn't get left out of the very exciting evening of lighting precarious sky lanterns (孔明灯). These were precarious only because there were lots of electric wires criss crossing across the Malaysian sky and we were trying not to set any wires on fire!

CNY in the Quek side of the family has more or less come to a standstill of sorts, with only the average height of the family increasing (due to numerous adolescent cousins), so I've skipped a narration of our 30 year old routine. Yes 30.  The Seng family however welcomed a new addition to the family and I met the latest darling, tiny little Fanrong for the first time. My mother, her maternal instincts ever so present, was literally drooling all over the baby so much so that we were literally mopping it off the floor.

Lastly, the Sengs do, as always reminisce about their days in the old shop house where my grandfather and uncle ran a dental practice until they both retired. It's a cold characterless furniture shop these days, its old grand lustre long forgotten. The painted words of 精美 so faded that we couldn't even tell if it was the correct back door. We pass this door daily and often can't help but cling on to the memories of the zinc roof, steep stairs, the musty smell of incense, the charcoal stove, the breezy balcony where my grandmother used to sit and smoke the afternoons away, and of course the incessnat crows of the cockerals at the back of the kitchen that often appeared on our plates the day following our arrival. Yes, my grandmother used to kill a chicken and a duck whenever we came back to Tangkak. As they used to say, 女儿回到娘家了 . That said, neither I don't miss the toads that used to appear in the bathroom at midnight though, not one bit. Frankly, I would wager that my mom feels the same.