kitchen-lust

Piri Piri Starfish (Tessa Kiros)

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:34:52 +0100

Tessa Kiros is not Portuguese. She is of Greek-Cypriot and Finnish parentage, so, you might ask, what would a London born, part Greek-Cypriot, part Finnish cookbook writer know of Portuguese food? Authenticity is not a word I am comfortable with. Perhaps being a mixed bag of ethnicities myself, I tend to refrain from hastily endorsing or decrying anything because of "authenticity" or a lack thereof, preferring to evaluate something based on its own merits, which fortunately, this book has plenty of.

I instantly warmed to the dusty azure themed cover featuring a washboard stiff sardine in the iconic Duralex Picardie tumbler. An arguably bizarre presentation, but one certain to draw the eye and garner attention. I've also had a lifelong but up to now, little researched curiosity about Portugal, though I have never set foot on Portuguese soil. Why? My mother's family name is Pereira, probably the most Portuguese of names and my grandmother spoke to me daily and exclusively in an archaic form of Portuguese, inflected with localisms, right up to her death when I was 13.

Ms Kiros travelled to and lived in Portugal, to experience the culture and colour of the country in order to write about its culinary treasures. I applaud such diligent research, surely a more than worthy stand in for having the "right" or required ethnicity or nationality?

Considering the past glory and reach of the former Portuguese empire, and the many influences of its numerous former colonies, the task of framing its culinary profile within 256 pages is a daunting one. Ms Kiros rises to the challenge and does an admirable job of showcasing Portugal, its history, its present, the Mediterranean warmth and inherent kindness that courses through the veins of all who call it home, both through the recipes that she shares as well as her observations of the country and its warm and wonderful people. The photography is beautiful, though in a natural and slightly rough hewn rather than contrived and primped sort of way. This is I think, as it should be. After all Portuguese cooking is not haute cuisine. It is honest, sturdy, unpretentious, bursting with flavour and character, nourishing and heartwarming, much like the Portuguese themselves. This is a lavishly beautiful book which screams "quality", from its sturdy cover and thick pages to its very secure binding and even the satisfyingly thick and broad page marking ribbon attached.

I do have two slight grouses though; the ingredients for each recipe are laid out in paragraph form rather than as a list. This can be confusing and frustrating if you're actually cooking from the book and need to keep seeking out each individual ingredient from the indistinct paragraph. A conventional list would have been far clearer, more accessible and convenient. This is not so much an issue though, if you're pleasurably and leisurely reading it in bed, for instance. The cost, at SGD 71.95 is a mite overpriced for 256 pages if compared to a book such as The River Cottage Meat Cookbook by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall. Still, I was sufficiently charmed to part with my money.

I would definitely recommend this book as a worthy introduction to Portuguese food, written in Ms. Kiros' characteristically warm and engaging style, if you don't mind the hefty price tag. Available at major bookstores in Singapore and here online.

Cafedirect Medium Roast Coffee

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 16:59:27 +0100

I'm the kind of coffee drinker who would rather go without and brave a thumping headache, then drink a bad cup. What's a bad cup? Well, that would differ from person to person but it's pretty simple for me; tar-thick sludge is a big no-no, especially if it comes with little actual coffee flavour. Sour coffee is another turnoff - a little acidity, even more than a bit is fine, as long as it's part of the inherent character of the coffee, not a result of brewed coffee standing around on a heater, getting as acidic as an aging spinster awaiting a suitor.

Coffee is for me, like bread, rice, potatoes, wine or good sex - absolutely essential. I've drunk my way through numberless varieties, brands, grinds and styles but I've never really given much thought to who had a hand in the coffee in my cup and how it got on the supermarket shelf.

I saw Cafedirect for the first time today on a supermarket shelf and this will come as no surprise to you, if you know me personally or have been following my posts for a while. It was going at a discount - not a hefty one, mind you, but a discount is a discount and no one's going to toss even a dollar your way, just because they like you! It was marked down from SGD 7.95 to SGD 6.70 for a 227 g pack. I grabbed all four packs off the shelf. It was a small leap of faith considering how finicky I am about my coffee and, that I've never tried Cafedirect. I squeezed the pack of coffee and deeply inhaled what little aroma managed to escape the vacuum packing. It smelt reassuringly rich, nutty and FRESH!

Once home I boiled water before even keeping the groceries I'd bought along with the coffee. When I cut open the package, I knew I had struck coffee gold; it was roasted just enough to bring out the full aroma of the beans without burning the natural sugars and causing an acrid, over roasted pong. It smelt rich, nutty, with hints of chocolate and cinnamon. I made it using a paper lined Melita porcelain filter allowing a dessertspoon of coffee per cup of hot water.

The coffee was good - not outstanding but very good. It was velvet smooth, a little on the sweet side, with modest acidity, (possibly lacking for those who prefer more 'oomph' in their coffee) the merest hint of cinnamon and anise and definite nutty overtones. This is a coffee I could easily enjoy without any added sugar. It's a very easy drinking brew but I honestly would've preferred a little more bite and character. Although described by the manufacturer as "vibrant", I found it a little too mellow for my taste. It might be more assertive if made in a cafetiere (French press/plunger pot) as a cafetiere tends to extract more from the coffee. What I really liked about it though was it's remarkably clean taste - no funky, iffy aftertaste lingering unpleasantly in the mouth, as with quite a few coffees I've drunk, particularly some Indonesian coffees. What I would have preferred is a listing of the variety/varieties of beans used. The only information given is that it's 100% Arabica and "a product of more than one country".

This is a fairtrade product meaning coffee growers get a "guaranteed minimum price" on their crops. Additionally half of the manufacturer's profits are invested back into "helping growers achieve the highest quality", so consumers get the best possible product for their money. A win-win situation all around.

So, bottomline time. Would I recommend this? Yes, definitely and unhesitantly. It's a coffee I think most people would enjoy, though some may prefer more vibrancy and nuance. More importantly, it's a quality product at a justifiable price, by a conscience driven manufacturer that supports and educates workers and growers. What's not to love? Recommended price SGD 7.95 at major supermarkets. Or buy online here.

Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2007

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:27:19 +0100

Three things I need to tell you before I say anything else; I'm cheap - I don't believe in paying $3 when I can pay $2, I don't like white wine very much; I'll have the occasional glass of Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc and that's it, and having said that, I'm IN LOVE!!!

On principle, I ordinarily, steadfastly refuse to buy a bottle of wine over $25 because I truly believe good wine need not cost an arm and a leg and in these difficult economic times, I believe vintners and other producers of non-essentials *ducks flying brick* should make this their mantra. If I really like a wine and it's beyond my (some say) stringent budget, I'll stalk my quarry relentlessly, until its price is slashed drastically, before I swoop in for the kill. So, last week, I was strolling around a mall basement when I saw this new bottle shop that still smelt of the wood it was panelled in (that can't be good for the wine, can it?) and politely and rather shamelessly inquired if there was any Condrieu or Viognier to be had at a discount.

The shop owner, to his credit, did not flinch, even managed a cordial smile and presented me with a bottle of Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2007. "It's not all Viognier", he told me, "but substantially so, with Marsanne, Roussanne and Bourboulenc in the mix". The pricetag read $35, but his manner and the fluid way in which the grape names tumbled out of his mouth, was wholly and I suspect, intentionally, seductive; I was sold.

I brought back my bottle and stashed it in the fridge, waiting for hubby's permanent return from his foreign posting, to share it with me over a celebratory dinner of roast game hen with cumin crusted butternut squash. Hubby came back 2 days ago and the game hens are still in the freezer, but the bottle of Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc now stands two-thirds empty.

When I opened the bottle, I was hit by a rich floral bouquet reminiscent of jasmine buds, tea rose and orange blossom honey. Its colour in the glass was unexpectedly pale. The first sip revealed stone fruit; white peach and apricot with a hint of musk melon and creamy vanilla. There was a distinct but pleasant minerally after taste that lingered satisfyingly and gave a nice edge to all that floral exuberance. The finish was clean and keen as a knife. For all the richness of it's aroma and flavour, it was elegantly dry, though not austere. It reminded me very much of very, very good champagne, without the fizz. I would definitely buy this again though preferably, not at this price.

I had this with some mac and cheese and the two may seem like strange bedfellows but proved to be a pleasant pairing; even the sharp tang of the cheddar and the garlic in the macaroni could not subdue the intoxicating perfume of this beautiful wine. I enjoyed this so much, I'm keeping the remaining third for some solitary pleasure tomorrow...when hubby is sound asleep! Price SGD 35 at Bottles and Bottles, B1-28, Tampines 1.

Marks & Spencer Rhubarb & Custard Boiled Sweets

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:06:25 +0100

My mum almost started foaming at the mouth when she saw a stack of these in a Marks and Spencer branch in Orchard Road today. When I said I wanted to buy a pack and try them, she shoved some mint humbugs into my hands as well, whilst pushing me towards the cashier. "Well, go on then, pay up and let me have one of those red and yellow ones" Mint humbugs I've had countless times but rhubarb and custard boiled sweets, not so much, in fact, not ever. I do know they're a terribly British flavour combination but have never tasted rhubard either. Mum swears she used to have sweets just like them when she was growing up, here in Singapore, in the 1940s. She lived with rich relatives who were card carrying Anglophiles and had this, that and everything else in the house imported from England, including cans of very similar stripey red and yellow sweets, beloved of my mother. I offered her one and she greedily (I kid you not) popped it into her mouth. Her eyes closed with pleasure as her shoulders quivered, before she let out a deep sigh. She actually smiled. Well, I just had to try one now! They aren't as sickly-sweet as many other boiled sweets I've had. The yellow half tasted faintly of vanilla custard and the red half was sweet and sour with an intriguing aftertaste I can't quite put my finger on. They have a really satisfying, mouth filling bulk as they're rather large and take quite a while to dissolve. Would I buy them again? Yes. The both of us polished off the lot before our train ride was over, neither of us saying much to each other; yours truly trying to tag that elusive flavour and she, probably lost in some Proustian reverie. And, we're usually the noisiest chatters within earshot, in a train. Oh, the humbugs were good too. Price : SGD 1.50 for an 80 g pack of 9 large sweets, at Marks and Spencer. Available online here.

The River Cottage Meat Book

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 17:03:00 +0100

Anyone who's been following my posts will know I'm a huge fan of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, so I have to watch myself here. In all honesty though, fan or no, there is very little not to like, no, love, about this book. It's thick, at a whopping 543 pages in all, crammed with lavish photography and written with what appears very much to be sincerity and undeniable passion.

HFW has even taken pains to include two indexes - one, a regular alphabetical recipe index and the other, an "alternative recipe index" that to quote the man is "Organised by mood and inspiration to help you plan a meal...". Here, recipes are grouped under such headings as "Celebrations", "Sheer Comfort", "Offally Good" and "Impress Your Friends" to name but four. I've been collecting cookbooks since I was 14 and have well over a hundred of them but this I have never seen before.

This is far more than a recipe book. HFW swings his scythe through the underbellies of giant supermarket chains and meat and poultry producers, revealing all sides of the picture - good, bad and ugly, makes a very convincing case for traditional farming and butchery and conscience driven animal husbandry, and in the midst of it all, manages to cook up some very decent grub then take a breather to ponder on vegetarianism as a stand against animal cruelty. I dare say his argument, particularly with regard to veal production, will give even vegans food for thought. The recipes are mostly straightforward, hearty dishes, as one might expect considering the subject matter, and will no doubt satisfy. What I found most valuable are the butchery charts for each type of meat and information on identifying, selecting and preparing meat so that you can get the very best out of it.

But....the cherry on top is the price of the book; a very reasonable and justifiable SGD 72.95, for a hardcover edition that informs, educates, tantalises, entertains and nourishes body, mind and soul. A book such as this can only be the result of real knowledge, passion and conviction. It appears that unlike a few other best-selling cookbook authors out there (you know me, so, no names, much as I'd like to) HFW is one author who is not striking while the iron's hot and knocking out book after book, filled with recycled material from previous best-sellers. Hmm, you can cook for me, anytime, Hugh.... UNRESERVEDLY RECOMMENDED. Price : USD 46.58 at Amazon.com and GBP 30.00 at Amazon.co.uk.

Caffarel Gianduiotti (Bitter)

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:49:12 +0100

I've loved Nutella (that gooey, sickly sweet cocoa and hazelnut spread) since I was about 6 and while I was recently trawling the shops at Changi Airport, killing time before boarding, I saw this very handsome package of midnight-blue-foil wrapped chocolate nuggets that had me at, well.... "Hello". What sealed the deal was the insane (I am now breathing in lungfuls of the remnants of that ravaged package) chocolate and hazelnut aroma that managed to escape the packaging and the fact that it was going for 50% off the usual price of SGD 29.95.

As I bit into that first upturned canoe shaped morsel, I had no idea of the pedigree of Caffarel, whose name is chocolate royalty in Italy. The Caffarel family invented Gianduia (chocolate hazelnut praline) when the protracted Napoleonic Wars caused a severe cocoa shortage and Pierre Paul Caffarel decided to stretch his limited supply of precious cocoa with finely ground Piedmontese hazelnuts, still considered the most exqusite in all of Italy. The rest is gastronomic history.

The chocolate more than delivered on the whispered promise of its lusciously rich aroma and rewarded my good faith with a flavour that almost had me whimpering, and a texture that I can only describe as alabaster smooth and butter rich. This, I imagine, is what every jar of Nutella secretly wants to be, when it grows up.

Priced at SGD 29.95 for a 250 g (8.8 oz) pack at Choco Fantasia (Changi Airport T2, #026-079, Departure/Transit Lounge). Also available here, with the possibility of delivery outside the EU.

Fuzion Shiraz Malbec 2007

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:26:07 +0100

I had a glass of this today, just before dinner, just because the thought of imbibing the essence of two of my favourite grapes, in the same glass, was suddenly too tempting for me to wait upon the roasted lemon and black pepper chicken wings glazing in the oven. I've been coddling two bottles of this on my rack, a 2007 and a 2008 and I thought it was time to open the 2007.

I have this friend who annoyingly insists that I am an aesthete and that my true addiction is beauty, not a certain deliciously dishevelled, dark haired, dark eyed Hollywood A-lister, who is merely one of an unending line of symptoms. Once in a while, something like this wine comes along and even more chaffingly, proves her, right; before I even took a taste of this, its mesmerising garnet shade and crystal clarity took my breath away.

The first sip revealed dark fruit- plums, black cherries and a whisper of blackberries. The second lingering taste brought a hint of anise and candy, I'd say liquorice. On the whole, I found it almost seductively velvety though not terribly distinctive or complicated but still sufficiently textured to prevent boredom and possessing more than expected finesse for its very modest price tag. Once again Argentina has proven its mastery when it comes to handling the Malbec grape and offering wine drinkers value for money. I would have preferred a tiny bit more acidity and less sweetness, but at this price, I wouldn't get into too much of a snit. Perfect for a modest dinner at home or when you just feel like a glass of red on any given evening.

I did try it with the roasted wings and a salad of avocados and mixed leaves tossed in a mild vinaigrette. Quite wonderful. Can't wait to see what the 2008 will taste like, next year.

SGD 15.95 at Cold Storage and Shop N Save.

KitchenAid Artisan (or Kenwood Major?)

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:31:05 +0100

Mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE ! At last. *sigh* I finally got one for my birthday about 2 weeks ago, in the exact colour you see above, a deliciously retro shade of creamy duck egg blue, that KitchenAid calls "Ice".

I've been silently lusting after one eversince I saw it on Monica Geller's turquoise counter top, over a decade ago. Before that I'd been using either a Philips hand held mixer or a Kenwood Major, both purchased in the early to mid 80s. Eventually I stopped using both as the Major was too large for most of the home baking I did, while the Philips tended to overheat and give off an alarming smouldering smell after a few minutes use. For a while, I just used either a hand-held balloon whisk or my hands(still the best kitchen tool I know).

I was too thunderstruck to use my KitchenAid for the first 3 days. All I could do was look at her and sigh.I mean, come on! Look at her!! It's been 11 days since she arrived on my door step and I've since made 3 dozen buns, 4 large sweet potato loaves, 2 trays of muffins and 3 bundt cakes. Oh, those sweet potato loaves! I never had such volume, such a tender and airy crumb!

Now to answer the perennial question: which is better, Kenwood or KitchenAid?

The KitchenAid (5 Quart) Artisan (Model 5KSM150) is noticeably less powerful (300 W),though still more than sufficient for my kitchen needs, has a smaller capacity,is quieter, much heavier and doesn't scuttle around the counter top as much when mixing heavy doughs, and if I look at it too long, I forget to breathe. KitchenAids, except for the mixing bowl which is made in Korea (on my model anyway), are made and assembled in the US.

The Kenwood Major (Model A907D) is more powerful (450 W), has a larger capacity, is noisier, lighter and can scuttle off the counter during heavy mixing... and it doesn't make my heart flutter. My model, which was purchased in 1984 was completely made and assembled in the UK. I'm not sure where current models have been made or assembled. I've heard Kenwood has been bought over by Italians (DeLonghi?) and is now a multi-origin product.

Both have a "planetary mixing action" that mixes ingredients well enough so you needn't scrape down the sides of the bowl, or so say both KitchenAid and Kenwood.

My Kenwood is 25 years old and still kicks serious butt; it once got me through a 6-day baking blowout when I had to make 125 loaf cakes (don't ask), without either one of us breaking into a sweat. The Artisan is so beautiful, you wish KitchenAid made shoes, or lingerie...

I love both, and I still can't choose between the two and now, I don't have to.

Want one? Look here for great deals.

Hugh Fearlessly Eats It All

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:56:22 +0100

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall is my food hero of the moment, and probably will be for a while yet. It isn't for nothing that he's earned his amusing moniker. He has famously sampled everything from roadkill, to fugu, to placenta. He's done battle with some of Britain's largest supermarket chains, over the provenance of food, more specifically, about the way chickens stocked by supermarkets, have been farmed, and vexed burger titan, McDonalds with endless questions about what goes into their burgers. Hugh was a chef at the iconic River Cafe, for about 8 months, many, many years ago but was fired apparently for a dismal lack of discipline and an annoying habit of sampling everything within reach. Fortunately for those of us who relish a good read about the food industry and it's sometimes seamy underbelly, as much as we love cooking and eating, Hugh made the switch from professional cooking to food writing and pleases on both fronts. What you have here is a rollicking good read of articles that Hugh has written over many years, covering a diverse range of topics from fast food, to diet scams, to modern animal farming nightmares,to former kitchen God and enfant terrible, "Hell's Kitchen's" Marco Pierre White. I was reading this book in a train and couldn't help laughing out loud more than once, much to the annoyance of my fellow passengers. I can honestly say there was never a dull moment. You will be, in equal parts, amused,informed and charmed by his candour. Hugh's personally recommended diet program for weight loss alone made me snort with laughter and in my opinion, is by itself, worth the price of this book. Available here.

Whittaker's Almond Gold 45 g Slab

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:54:04 +0100

Oh, how I love these gold foil packed nuggets of pure chocolate pleasure! What's to love about Whittaker's chocolates? They're made from cocoa beans imported from Ghana, acknowledged to produce some of the world's best cocoa beans. Whittaker's, a New Zealnd company, handles the roasting and processing of the beans themselves. There are flavours like coconut, ginger and kiwi, but my favourite is the single serve (45 g) chunky bar absolutely crammed with diminutive and perfectly roasted almonds that taste unusually rich, sweet and well, "almondy", for want of a better word.The chocolate itself is divine; not cloyingly sweet, with a rich chocolate aroma but no trace of bitterness. It snaps cleanly when broken and melts obligingly on the tongue. Because it's thick, it doesn't melt as easily as other thinner bars would in this damnable equatorial heat, and, it's really satisfying to bite into such a hefty bar, though it really is quite a small portion, by my standards, anyway. Suggested price USD 3.20 for a pack of 3. Worldwide delivery available here.