Chinese Food in Sinapore

One of the best things about where Evan lives in Singapore (Chinatown) is the food. One day for lunch we went to the 2nd floor of his apartment building - there was a hawker center there with stalls and stalls of food for sale. I was completely overwhelmed, so Evan picked out a items from different stalls, so we would be able to try a little of everything.

It was the best Chinese food I have ever had (ironically, when I was in China, I had a BLT for lunch).

We purchased a few cans of 100 Plus to go with our meal. I loved this stuff when I was in Singapore. It was the perfect liquid to re-hydrate in such a hot and humid climate.

source

Since it was a 90* day, we got takeaway so that we could go back upstairs to the air con (as they call it!).

pan fried pork dumplings

hainanese mixed rice with eggplant, green beans, and chicken

steamed pork shumai

garlic and salt pork ribs

My Plate

It was all so fresh, delicious and cheap! The hawker stalls really are the best way to eat in Singapore - no matter what cuisine you're interested in.

Chili Crab in Singapore

After watching the Top Chef season finale, I have been reminiscing about my trip to Singapore. There was one thing we needed to try while we were in town: Chili Crab.

Chili Crab is a dish that originated in Singapore. The crabs are steamed, and then stir-fried in a thick, sweet chili sauce. They are served with little rolls, that are great for mopping up the excess sauce.

We headed to the waterfront (well it's an island so the whole place is a waterfront!) to the East Coast Seafood Center and Jumbo Seafood. It was a Thursday night and this place was packed! Luckily Evan was smart enough to make a reservation, and we were seated immediately. We were a little overwhelmed by the menu, so Evan did the ordering.

The meal started with a pitcher of the local brew, Tiger Beer.

We then had cereal prawns (so sweet and crunchy!) and satay (who doesn't love meat on a stick), as well as some rice.




The came the chili crab. We ordered the traditional chili crab as well as the black pepper crab. It was good, but way too messy for me. I enjoyed the flavor of the black pepper crab much better than the chili crab. I thought the crab with each had good flavor, but it was way too much of a hassle to eat. It was sticky and slippery and kind of a pain in the ass to get the crab out. It was an experience though, and I'm glad I tried it.

We also had some steamed Sea Bass, which I loved. Much easier to eat then than damn chili crab, and so delicious - even if it was staring at me the whole time.

As much as I didn't love the chili crab in Singapore, it was still a great meal and a lot of fun to sit outside and enjoy a local dish - despite the scent of oil in the air.

After a few more pitchers of Tiger we were off to a Thai nightclub, now that was an experience...

Saturday in Portland

The Saturday of Labor Day Weekend we went to my favorite city in Maine, Portland. Because no stop in Portland is complete without lunch at Duckfat, that was our first stop.

I love Duckfat and have been coming here for years. Lunch is always fantastic and it's a wonderful little restaurant with a great concept - the belgian style fries are fried in duckfat. I love it!


I started with an Allagash white. I love this beer and the last time we were in Portland we went on a tour of the brewery.

And next we had a large order of the friends with truffle ketchup, garlic aioli and duckfat gravy. The same dipping sauces we've been getting for years but it works! For lunch we also split a sandwich - the special of the day which was a bacon and cheddar pannini with dijon apple butter. Crispy and delicious!

My only problem with Duckfat is that I wish it were in Cambridge!






Next we made a quick stop at a bookstore. We ended up with two books, one on canning and the other on charcuterie - should make for a fun winter!


Continuing the kitchen-stocking trip, we headed to LeRoux Kitchen to get some essentials.




LeRoux kitchen has a great selection of vinegars and olive oils so we tasted a a lot, and chose a few to take home. This trip to Portland came just in time, since we were out of our stock form last year. There are creative vinegars like chocolate and raspberry, as well as oils from Spain and Chile.




They also have a few beers in stock, so I picked up a Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale to enjoy this fall.

And then, our final stop and one of the greatest places in all of Portland, The Great Lost Bear.




There were so many great beers on tap to chose from! It has best Belgian beer selection I had ever seen! I had another Allagash, but this time I chose the four.

Allagash Four is brewed with four malts, four hops, four sugars and four Belgian yeast strains. During the mashing process, we add Date Sugar to the mash tun. Later, during the boil, we add Light Candi, Dark Candi, and Light Golden Molasses. After primary fermentation with the first strain of yeast, we add more Candi Sugar, and referment the beer with a secondary strain of yeast... that process is then repeated with a third strain of yeast, and finally a fourth for bottle conditioning in the cellar. The Allagash Four Ale is presented in a strikingly decorated bottle, and is truly a unique beer! (source)



Portland is a beautiful coastal city with so much to see and enjoy. It has fantastic restaurants and great bars, I can't wait to go back and I definitely recommend a trip!

Are you ready for some Football??

I am! It's my favorite time of the year, and the Pats are back in action.


Patriots 2010 Schedule

Sept. 12: Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Sept. 19: at Jets, 4:15 p.m.
Sept. 26: Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Oct. 4: at Miami, 8:30 p.m.
Oct. 10: BYE*
Oct. 17: Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Oct. 24: at San Diego, 4:15 p.m.
Oct. 31: Minnesota, 4:15 p.m.
Nov. 7: at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Nov. 14: at Pittsburgh, 8:20 p.m.
Nov. 21: Indianapolis, 4:15 p.m.
Nov. 25: at Detroit 12:30 p.m.
Dec. 6: Jets, 8:30 p.m.
Dec. 12: at Chicago, 1 p.m.
Dec. 19: Green Bay, 8:20 p.m.
Dec. 26: at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Jan. 2: Miami, 1 p.m.

*so glad the bye weekend is the day I am running Chicago!

I'm looking forward to many lazy Sundays with food, beer and football!

Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic over Tagliatelle

I am full of shit. I actually do cook from time to time. You see, my personal chef has started a second job and it's my turn to get in the kitchen and pick up the slack. I had tomatoes, lots of tomatoes, and my basil plant has been going strong all summer. So, what to make? Sometimes thinking of something to cook is the hardest thing about it. Caprese salad? Kind of a cop-out. Sandwiches? That's what we're having for lunch (I ♥ my sandwiches). Then I remembered one of my mom's recipes and decided to make roasted tomatoes over tagliatelle.

My mom saw this recipe on the news (of all places) years ago and has been making it her own ever since. She uses plum tomatoes, but I used what I had on hand (plum and cherry tomatoes). I also decided that some roasted garlic would be a good, and easy, addition to this dish.

For a split second I thought about making my own pasta...but not wanting to be in the kitchen for hours on a 90* night, I opted to buy gourmet pasta from Whole Foods. At $7.00 a package this stuff is pricey, but it is oh so good, and a great treat once in a while. I also picked up a loaf of bread while I was there, we could have some with the pasta, and I could use the rest for panzanella salad.

Ingredients
1 pound pasta
1 box cherry tomatoes, 4 plum tomatoes (or 10 plum tomatoes)
2 heads garlic
8-10 basil leaves
olive oil
1 loaf italian or french bread
optional: Parmigiano-Reggiano

Instructions
Roasting tomatoes is so simple. Use a sharp knife to slice the tomatoes in half, then season them with some salt and pepper, and put them skin-side down on a cookie sheet in the oven (sugar can be sprinkled on the sliced tomatoes for more of a caramelized flavor, but this is optional). My mom says to roast them for 45 mins at 400*. Every oven is different, so just roast them until they look done.

For the garlic, cut the top 1/4" inch off, pour olive oil over the top, wrap in tin foil and place directly on the rack in the oven. This should take around 35 mins. Be careful not to burn the garlic though, or it's a wasted effort.

When I was finished slicing the tomatoes I poured myself a glass of wine, thankful I didn't lose a finger using that ridiculous knife. Wine is a necessary accompaniment while cooking.

I put the tomatoes in the oven to bake...er, roast. Continuing with the momentum, I made lunches for the next two days and started the water for the pasta.

Then there was more wine while I shredded the cheese and put the pasta in the boiling water.

While the pasta is cooking, chiffonade the basil leaves and check on the garlic. The garlic is done when it's light brown and soft, but not burnt. Once the garlic has cooled a little, carefully squeeze each garlic clove out of its skin using a spoon. The tomatoes should be done by now too, so remove those from the oven and allow them to cool.

Once the pasta has finished cooking, strain it in a colander and toss with olive oil. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, garlic and basil to the pasta and toss. Add more olive oil, to taste. This dish is best served warm, with more wine of course. A sprinkle of cheese on top adds a little something extra, don't you think?


Serves 4