My golden kitchen rule.

picture from inmagine

My job often sees me interviewing chefs and bakers, and one recurring question I always pose is this: "What is the one piece of advice you'll give to aspiring cooks?"
Their replies range from "Always read the recipe once in its entirety before cooking" to "Invest in a sharp knife". Valuable advice definitely, but if you asked me - which you probably wouldn't, which is why I'm blogging about this - I would say: "Never pile the dishes in the sink!" Trust me, it's something I've learned from all the recipes I've been testing.
 
Have a think. To make a simple chocolate cake, you would require:

1. Measuring cups and spoons to measure the ingredients
2. A knife to portion the butter
3. A heatproof bowl to melt the chocolate
4. A whisk or electric beaters to cream the butter and sugar
5. A bowl to hold the butter and sugar
6. And if you're separating the eggs from the yolks, another whisk and bowl to whip up the egg whites
7. A baking tin for the batter 

That's quite a bit to plunk in the sink, and quite a dreary feat to wash up after! It doesn't have to be though, not if you - and here's the key phrase - wash as you go.

Here's what I'd do:

1. Measure out all ingredients, then plunk measuring spoons, cups and knife into the sink
2. Put the chocolate to melt
3. Wash all that are in the sink - this shouldn't take too long and the chocolate should have melted by the time you're done.
4. Remove chocolate from heat and leave to cool slightly.
5. Cream butter and sugar
6. Whisk egg whites
7. Add chocolate, yolks and other ingredients into the creamed butter.
8. Fold in egg whites.
9. Dump all used bakeware into the sink.
10. Pour batter into the tin, then place it into the oven to bake.
11. Wash all that is in the sink - this will take longer than the first round of washing up, but your cake's probably not gonna be ready that soon anyway!
12. Wipe down the tables, twiddle thumbs and perhaps take a quick shower.
13. Cake's ready.
14. Serve and eat in peace, comforted by the knowledge that all you have to wash at the end of this is the greasy cake tin.

Easy peasy?

Solace.

image via weheartit.com

It hasn't been the breeziest of weeks. I've had my fair share of laughter, courtesy of my nutty colleagues and, I've come to realise, an absurd ability to laugh at myself, but there's been a hint of gloom hanging over it all; the kind of gloom that can encourage not-so-cheery feelings to grow and fester, if not properly tended to.

I had one of those mornings yesterday, quite possibly because I was lugging around what feels like a body's worth of loaned tableware and hardcover books about town. I was grumpy and cranky, and my top was unflatteringly hitched up into awkward folds by the loaded bags.

I tottered briskly on towards the last stop, impatiently blowing my fringe out of my eyes. I came up the escalator from the underpass and instinctively, my steps slowed as my vision focused on the Sun Moulin Bakery.

 The aromas wafting out from the bakery reeled me in and I soon found myself navigating its narrow aisles in wide-eyed wonder, oblivious to the weight on my left shoulder now that all my other senses were consumed by the sight and smells of freshly baked pastries.

I was instantly cheered. I'd found my happy place.

Almost nutters over Italy planning.

Almost nutters over Italy planning.

I have my own mini library of French and Italian phrasebooks, as well as outdated maps and guidebooks, courtesy of my sister who traipsed Europe in 1994. Information, even if it's outdated, is always good, but information overload is a headache.

Ken came over earlier to start our Italy planning proper, and I'm still here at my screen six and a half hours later, increasingly overwhelmed by choices. The flight and train tickets aren't as straightforward as we expected, and it is extremely tough facing the many accommodation choices available. It's not just about aesthetics, but also about answering an infinite number of questions like the distance between the train station to the Piazza del Duomo, and deciding if the accommodation we ultimately decide on is centralized enough.

We have lofty plans of covering Pisa, Florence and Rome in four and a half days, so we don't really have the leeway to be all spontaneous and just pack and go. Instead, each transfer has to be meticulously thought out, though I have to admit that pulling my hair out over it is kinda fun, in a torturous sadistic way. There's a bit of a Monica in me. I'll definitely be a bit more relaxed once these Italy plans are finalized though.

Thankfully, my Paris plans are pretty mellow. I initially thought I'd have many days to wander unfamiliar streets on my own while Berty's at work, but I've realised that I have a lot less chill time than I had expected. It's not a bad thing, for this time's in exchange for company (ZL has set me up with his girlfriend who's coming down on her own and Ken may be coming down a day earlier than planned). Company's always good, especially when it comes to doing the cheesy tourist activities!

And if I haven't already babbled your ears off about it - I AM GOING TO JACK JOHNSON'S CONCERT! He's performing in Paris on 9 July, and Berty 's got us the tickets. I'm really excited for Jack Johnson's one of my all-time favourite artistes, and I never thought I'd get to see him perform live. What are the odds of him coming to Singapore seriously? Well, I've just defied the odds by going to him, haha.

Who would have thought I'd be going to Europe? It wasn't on my list of must-go-now destinations last year, yet here I am, just 29 days away from hopping on to the S$2400 flight. Curveball moments as such often take us by surprise, and that's what makes life so colorful really.

But of course some curveball moments I wish I didn't have to deal with, but it is all part and parcel of accepting my responsibilities and fulfilling my duties. It ain't easy, and times like these I'm truly grateful for my freaky ability to compartmentalize my thoughts and emotions. Seeing how my yoga guru has left Singapore and how my friends have told me they missed being guinea pigs for my baking trials, I turned to the trusty oven this evening for some inner peace.



The orange yoghurt cake was kind of a flop as it tasted more like bread instead, but the chewy chocolate chip yoghurt cookies were a refreshing alternative to the conventional crispy ones. Yes, yoghurt is my new ingredient obsession.

Baking and receiving a call from an important friend have restored my sanity. And reading B's latest email has made me stifle a laugh in my quiet, quiet house. Good night world.

Five weeks left at home.

Five weeks left at home.

The worst of the papers are over, and I'm left to sit for my Malay Language exam exactly a week from now. I've s/u-ed the subject (for the uninitiated, it's an option to not have the grade be included in my grade point average), so there's little stress there.

So technically... the holidays have started. It feels a little surreal I guess. This time each year, I'd be busy trip-planning for my short getaways, as well as baking, shopping and doing all things festive.

Well, the festivity's still in the air, and the holiday dinners are on as planned, but I'm not jetting away for a week this time around, but a good five to six months. That makes approximately 20 to 24 weeks.

Trip planning in India should be a project-based exam in itself. There are so many things I'd like to see, but the names of the cities and the options are baffling and infinite. Two afternoons of research, and I've finally gotten a vague gist of how India's topology. Phew.

Five weeks left in Singapore, and it kinda feels like time is running out with the million and one things I want and have lined up to do.

Events and meet-ups

• Fagan's OCS Social Night
• FOC handover barbeque
• Meet-up with Jane, Marc and Fag
• Meet-up with Kar Ern
• Meet-up with CPM babes
  
• Christmas movie tradition with Justin and YH
• Shopping with bitch
  
• Fagan's birthday chalet
• "Farewell" (?)
  
• Christmas dinner with the girls
• Christmas dinner with Spottiswoode gang
  

The must-dos

• Study for Malay (hah, like I can run away from that)
• Apply for student Visa
• Go for medical checkup
• See family doc for pills to take abroad
• Pay for air ticket
• Pack luggage
• Meet up with Erwin's friend to India advice
• Meet up with uncle's friends for India advice (?)
  

The fun to-dos

• Shop for Christmas presents
• Finish up yoga package
• Shop for tees and, to quote my well-meaning friends, "something less revealing"
• Bake
• Cook

Life took a teeny strain earlier on in the week, but normality's seeping back. I got to talk and finally tell my bitch about the happenings, and I met up with my poly girlfriend Jane as well.

It felt like the good old times, sitting down in chilly Ikea and talking about nothing and everything. I was reminded of the time we sprawled on the TP library couches, talked, and fell asleep or something, in the middle of a school day! Haha. Do you have any recollection of that woman??

But it was a good session, one where we kinda unloaded our burdens on each other. It's different I guess, friendships that start from your teens. We're kinda watchig each other grow up, yet at the same time holding on to the fact that we haven't really changed at all. :)



And I got up to a spot of baking earlier this afternoon. They're oatmeal raisin cookies (can't quite see the raisins here), but surprisingly crunchy and light. Am gonna pass some to Ceci, and I'll see if the boys are at home.

Time to hit the showers and head for yoga.

The faux domestic goddess.

The faux domestic goddess.



Improved a little on the presentation of the melt-in-the-mouth kisses yesterday, and they went down really well with the family. Looks a little like mini cream puffs eh? And Christmas is drawing near, so no harm in a little recipe testing.

I know it's the last thing I should be doing on a Sunday before an exam, but it's an open-book format.

One of my girls (they're twins) cried during piano yesterday. She was really disappointed I suppose, having just showed me her Star Award (this primary school result-related trophy), only to make several mistakes in the theory revision test.

It made me think how getting 100 marks means the world to a seven year old. I probably would have had the same reaction when I was her age, but as I sat there stroking her hair and wiping her tears, I thought about how inconsequential marks are when placed beside other more realistic problems. Such is the difference in perspectives between the world of the naive child and that of a jaded new adult.

Older and wiser, or older and wearier? You decide.

Always look on the bright side of life.

Always look on the bright side of life.

I tried out a new recipe for an easy no-bake lemon cheesecake on Friday night, hoping to bring it over to a friend's place the next evening.

The mixture was still somewhat wobbly on Saturday morning, and I chucked the tin in the freezer instead. True to the art of positive thinking, I'd like to think that I have accidentally discovered the recipe for super shiok cheesecake ice cream.

It's kinda silly to lug an ice-cold cake tin out, so I whipped up half a batch of chocolate brownies instead. And boy, what good brownies they are... I know, I have no shame.