A “Buttery” Family Affair (1.11.2009)

It was the night before my first day of work at a new job and boy was i having the sunday blues. So, i had to cook. Much inspired by Julie/Julia and my late night television affairs with Nigella Lawson, this was what came out of it.

Venue: Home

Date: 1 Nov 2009, Sunday

Just Me and the Family

Menu:

Butter Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

Butter seared and grilled Sea Bass

Bruschetta with Butter seared French Baguette

Prawn and Asparagus Aglio Olio with Parmesan Cheese and Pine Nuts

Caesar Salad

Swordfish Tataki with Rosemary, Pepper and Lime Juice

Lime Juice and Moscato Jelly

Yes. It was a Buttery, Buttery Affair. Add to that, a glass of Perrier Jouet Champagne. Calories all worth it!

Dinner for Two (30.10.2009)

It was friday. I love fridays. They are the days that some choose to spend getting wasted in clubs, or have dinner at a posh restaurant, or basically, eat out. I like to cook friday nights. This friday, was no different.

I had decided to try out a beef recipe that I’d seen from Donna Hay, it was Ribeye steak with Mustard cream sauce.

I got myself 2 nice cuts of Ribeye, a cut i like most because of its glorious marbling (Nothing like wagyu of course), but good enough, that makes a perfect steak just seared and sprinkled with salt and pepper. I did as that. The mustard cream sauce was simply made with mustard, sour cream, white wine and beef stock. I didn’t take a liking to its flavour with my steak. Instead, i put together mustard, cream, white wine, stock and for some weird reason, a dollop of mayonnaise. Sounds horrifying, but tasted, alright.

Normally, i’d like to have my steak with just salt and pepper , served with a sunny side up. But i decided to try something new this week and hence, the sauce. But i think i’ll never make it again. Not a fan.

The sides were of homemade french fries with parmesan cheese and Nigella Lawson Caeser Salad. I only managed to capture shots of these two before my camera decided to die, there and then, when i needed her most. She ran out of battery!

So anyway, enjoy what ever little moments i captured. I’m charging my camera NOW!

Tiramisu (Available for order NOW!)

To place an order, please either leave a comment with your name, contact details and order, OR email the grumpy chef at teriteo@starhub.net.sg

10inch by 4 &3/4 inch box : $18.00

* Orders may be delivered upon request for an additional $2.50 islandwide.

** Every box is tied with a ribbon. Upon placing order, you may request colour of ribbon.

Espresso Cupcakes (Available for order NOW!)

To place an order, please either leave a comment with your name, contact details and order, OR email the grumpy chef at teriteo@starhub.net.sg

Box of 16 mini (diameter approx 5cm) :$16.50 (with flowers on top), $15.50 (without flowers)

Box of 9 mini (diameter approx 5cm): $11.50 (with flowers on top), $10.50 (without flowers)

*Limited edition Polka dot cases, Box of 9 (diameter approx 6cm): $15.00 (with flowers), $14.00 (without flowers)

** Valrona Chocolate is used for the cupcakes

Please note: Flowers are subjected to availability. You may request for plain or a particular colour of cases upon order. Choices of colour are often: Dark pink, light pink, orange, purple, or green. (Polka dotted or floral). You may also request to have the cupcakes packed into plastic boxes instead of cardboard boxes. Plastic boxes will cost an addtional $0.50.

***Orders may be delivered upon request for an additional $2.50 islandwide.

Butter Cupcakes with Lemon Zest (Available for order NOW!)

To place an order, please either leave a comment with your name, contact details and order, OR email the grumpy chef at teriteo@starhub.net.sg

Box of 16 mini (diameter approx 5cm) :$12.50 (with flowers on top), $11.50 (without flowers)

Box of 9 mini (diameter approx 5cm): $7.50 (with flowers on top), $6.50 (without flowers)

*Limited edition Polka dot cases, Box of 9 (diameter approx 6cm): $12.00 (with flowers), $11.00 (without flowers)

Please note: Flowers are subjected to availability. You may request for plain or a particular colour of cases upon order. Choices of colour are often: Dark pink, light pink, orange, purple, or green. (Polka dotted or floral). You may also request to have the cupcakes packed into plastic boxes instead of cardboard boxes. Plastic boxes will cost an addtional $0.50.

** Orders may be delivered upon request for an additional $2.50 islandwide.

Sugar Rush a.k.a Operation Dessert Storm

Date: 17 October 2009. Time: 8pm. Location: Afterdark Facility. The Who’s Who: Family and Friends.

The Menu:

1) Baked Meringue with Plums Poached in Red Wine served with whipped cream

2) Cream Puffs

3) Strawberry Tarts

4) Coconut Panna Cotta

5) Tiramisu

6) Mango Cake

7) Creme Caramel

Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice cream

9) Bailey Pancakes served with a choice of banana caramel or blueberry syrup

10) Cheesecake topped with Marinated strawberries

11) Fruit Salad

Behind-the-scenes:

I started on tuesday 13 Oct 09, making the tart shells and cream puffs. Froze them. Wednesday was really… Yellow!.. Stood by the stove making a huge pot of custard. 16 egg YOLKS, yes, just yolks, and god knows how much sugar (i’m not telling) and a lot of stirring. Thursday was Tiramisu, no drama there. Leftover egg whites from yesterday were turned into Meringues. Friday, started early with cheesecake, then creme caramel and coconut panna cotta. The panna cotta was depressing. NOT ENOUGH GELATINE!!! But it wasn’t runny either, it wasn’t exactly the right consistency too. It was.. in between. But i didnt have enough time to redo, so went ahead and left them as they were. They tasted fine anyway. Phew. The big Sat-TUR-day.. Mango cake, first thing in the morning, baked the sponge cake, whipped the cream, chopped up some mango, wala! Prepared the banana caramel, blueberry syrup, chocolate lava cake batter and pancake batter. The rhythm was nice and even. Managed to squeeze out time to clean up the venue and prepare some floral decorations.

It was a great feeling to have all the desserts lined up on the table. Quite a spectacle. But i still wasn’t entirely satisfied, i wanted to make more and well, perfected every single item. But there’s always next time! Also, the heat wasn’t helping, first the tiramisu started sweating away, then the panna cotta’s gelatine caved and by the end of the evening, the cheesecake was turning into a mush. Oh well, at least everyone was happy, well sugared up and boozed up. So was I.

Lucky number 7

Received an order on tuesday for 2 boxes of cupcakes for a 7yr old’s birthday party. I wasn’t feeling exactly up for it, especially after  the crazy dessert party on saturday, nevertheless, i did it. The order was meant for 16 cupcakes, any flavour i desired, in 2 boxes of 8. However, i finally decided on 2 boxes of 9  simply cos it looked better. I charged for 8 per box.

Since the birthday girl was but a mere lucky number 7, i went for the cute polka-dotted pink cupcake cases, also i picked up a small box of pink flowers made of flour for local bake supplies store Gin Hin Lee off Haig Road. These delicate pink flowers were a great and simple way to decorate.

Due to my lack of gusto that day, i foolishly left out the extra 2 eggs required since i had doubled the recipe!!! What an idiot! And so when the chocolate cupcakes came out, they were fudgy, yes, but they sunk within seconds. I tried to salvage with chocolate ganache, but in the end, i just had to remake them. (Can’t exactly make someone pay for bad goods.) So anyway, round 2 turned out pretty well ( i remembered all the eggs this time!), topped it off with a lovely chocolate icing and studded each cupcake with a pretty pink flower.

My other box of 9 were butter cupcakes. Why? Because I wanted to do something simple and old fashion. Plus I figured the parents at the party may appreciate something lighter and less caloric than Valrona Chocolate Cupcakes. I added some lemon zest to the cupcakes which eased the rich buttery batter and made them seemingly, less sinful. They cupcakes turned out a lovely golden with a gorgeous crust on top. Studded with the pink flowers glued by icing, they were ready for packaging!

My disastrous beginning turned out pretty good. I was glad. I hope they enjoy the cupcakes.

Happy Birthday you 7 year old whom i don’t know.