Titanic relived.

@Redang island, marine park

It was indeed an underwater paradise,
one will get lost in it and yet be gleeful



I chanced upon a shipwreck as i was combing the outer reefs of the marine park,
i was fascinating. Jack & Rose came to my mind. And to think of how a tragedy would actually become a life platform for corals & the marine life.

Everything seems to come alive beneath the rusting steel scaffolding of the shipwreck.
It gives one inspiration, and tremble down one's adrenaline nerve.
one word, "COOL"










A gigantic clam growing out of the shipwreck,
as gastronomist or a food fanatic, we would be thinking about
the delicacies we could derive from it.
Fresh oyster with dash or lemon?
Authentic singapore local Oyster Omelette?
Flame grilled Shell-on oyster with coarse sea salt and cheese?

I swear i was hungry when i saw it! IT WAS SUCCULENT and BIG!
Had a light lunch before going off board the cruise to snorkel,
as I would not want to share my digested lunch with the fishes.

Marine life ought to be protected, as we hope to preserve the beautiful underwater world so that many can appreciate it too.

So in the end, i decided to leave it alone and keep my tummy growling. Aww.
But it was a fascinating thing to see, i hope the next person who sees it would not be a hungry man or someone trying to harvest it. Or THE CLAM WILL CHOMP CHOW CHOW him or her.
=D







This trip has definitely been better than Tioman,
as the marine life and corals are very well protected unlike Tioman, the reefs were mostly destroyed and corals were dead.

There was a man that caught a fish with a plastic bag using bread as a bait,
the locals threatened to give him a fine of $20,000.
But he explained that he wants to show the fish to his little son who doesn't knows how to swim.
And gladly the son was at the shore and not on board the cruise. I will forgive him for being such a nice daddy =)
And i can't forget my dad actually did something like this before.
He caught a big parrot fish with plastic bag? And the reason was to touch it, before releasing it back to the wild. haha. FML
guess we all have our curiosity to wonder off.

From the sea,
what brings to my mind about food is the freshness and liveliness of the seafood.

In simple,
Japanese cuisine.
Where their ingredients are often of superior grade as they believe what they eat make them what they are.
Despite their simplicity, the japanese emphasizes on the freshness and rarity of the catch, as well as the seasonality of seafood.
Often with the grandiose touch of sharp japanese chef's knives that allows
the fresh seafood to melt in our mouth tasting it's sweetness and wonders, while the smell of the sea lingers on to it's freshness. And the food are often placed very beautifully on the plate, making it food to the eye too.

So in short,
Japanese cuisine carries the spirit of
The Seasonality of the food, quality of ingredients and presentation.



Japonais son.

chocolate, i will have dark chocolate

Chocolates gives us a taste of life, when we are in love we taste white chocolate, when we are feeling crazy we will crave for milk and chocolate so we taste milk chocolate, when we are feeling down we would want to taste the bitterness in life so we taste dark chocolate. But one thing we know, good chocolates do not leave a greasy aftertaste but will melt down your throat. Things are better explained than unsaid

I thought this will be meaning full.. chocolates and life

chocolatey

Quite some time ago i had an attempt of my very own improvised.
TAZANIA cake.

for pohe's 19th birthday =)






it's chocolatey
and is glazed with top grade chocolate couverture
garnished with strawberry pureed whip cream
and chopped almonds as well as dark chocolate

the filling is basically, devil's food cake a heavy sponge cake that's chocolatey too!
and layers with chocolate and hazelnut ganache
and a authentic swedish raspberry jam!





PATISSIERE CHAO!

cooking with a heavy heart

My very own creations for a Saturday dinner @ grandma's place.









Honey infused cream cheese over butter roasted baguettes. Topped with cilantro and chopped pistachio nuts.








Pan seared streaky bacon with cilantro tossed in Asahi reduction sauce



Bon Appetit! introdúzcame como commis chef etoile

Etoile's mezze food

Food is sharing
I want to discover the world of flavours

So what has food gotta do with Love?

Love Foods

History is rife with the human pursuit of aphrodisiacs in many forms. Scientific tests have proven that some aromas can cause a greater effect on the body than the actual ingestion of foods. Here are some common foods of love used through the ages.

• Alcohol: lowers inhibitions and increases confidence; however, over-indulgence has a sedative effect not conducive to a romantic tryst.

• Banana: due not only to its shape, but also its creamy, lush texture, some studies show its enzyme bromelain enhances male performance.

• Caviar: is high in zinc, which stimulates the formation of testosterone, maintaining male functionality.

• Champagne: viewed as the "drink of love," moderate quantities lower inhibitions and cause a warm glow in the body.

• Chocolate: contains both a sedative which relaxes and lowers inhibitions and a stimulant to increase activity and the desire for physical contact. It was actually banned from some monasteries centuries ago.

• Figs: seasonal crops were celebrated by ancient Greeks in a frenzied copulation ritual.

• Ginseng: increases desire for physical contact.


• Puffer fish: considered both a delicacy and an aphrodisiac in Japan. If the poisonous gland is not properly removed, the tiniest taste is deadly. The flirt with death is said to give a sexual thrill. Not recommended.

•Oysters: Some oysters repeatedly change their sex from male to female and back, giving rise to claims that the oyster lets one experience the the masculine and feminine sides of love.

• Radish: considered a divine aphrodisiac by Egyptian pharoahs, most likely because its spicy taste stimulated the palate.

• Truffles: probably due to its rarity and musky aroma, it has long been considered to arouse the palate and the body. To sustain his masculinity, an ancient lover in lore was said to have gorged himself to death on Alba truffles during the wedding feast.

Opening my fridge,

Vino macerado
-fermented fruits soaked in wine.

I made champagne pears
with rosa wine and european pear
Score the pear on the skin, giving a few shallow slices on it's skin
Fill a glass with the pear in it with wine, make sure it is completely submerged in the richness. Leave some airspace.
Then put a slice or two of lime or lemon. Make sure the slices are very thin so it could give a light hint of zest.

it has been fermented for a week now.
i took it out, cut into battonet slices.
and it tastes the richness of the rosa wine which indulge in the sweetness of the ripen pear.
And light tingly zest dances on your taste buds.
It's refreshing and smooth!
i would recommend it for a starter. Like a scrutiny of your appetite, it opens your palate's delirous joy.

It's my hop & twist in the kitchen. my own recipe =)
give it a try!
meanwhile i have my wine grapes fermenting.

And i am going to get my yogurt sorbet finished! anyone wants??
gourmet macarons and daring new dangerous flavours to experiment on new dishes!


Mean while,
nothing beats Paul the octopus
who is going to be the most delicious meal for WORLD CUP!

SPAIN or HOLLAND?

meanwhile what's up for the party?

takyo yaki OCTOPUS BALLS?


PAN FRIED octopus with roasted potatoes





KOREAN LIVE OCTOPUS?









Barbequed?


SO HOW WILL U LIKE YOUR PAUL THE OCTOPUS served =)!



"HEY! SPAIN GONNA WIN HEH! OHH SHITT!"

Chef

My first meal i whipped up, it's been a long time since.
From i first started welding my knife hazardously
to now slicing chopping fabricating.. out a future!

sometimes the memories are worth the pain,
so save an egg now
and crack a smile =)







never regret the things that once made you smile,

Cooking has taught me many things in life.
learning how to appreciate everything around us and be grateful to them.
We become sensitive to our tastes, smell, sight, hearing, everything around us.
Even we are being stressed and hailed at, we will present delicate work out of the harsh environment. Our passion, our heart, our flavors, our seas of imaginations is brought out to the taste buds of our dear hungry friends.

When preparing and cooking a dish, we are often serious & look deadly murderous not because we ain't friendly, cause we hope to put our heart & soul, you will understand our finishing touch isn't the beautifully drizzled olive oil or elevated garnish
But
the smile we hope to put on your face
when you have tasted and enjoyed our food to your comfort.
warm the food might be, thousands of flavours engulfs and dissipates at that split of second in your mouth.
Our tensed soul and flaring passion would then heave a sigh of accomplishment when you smile



and i ..... will always smile =)

Etoile's food diary june

Helping out @jeremy han's dinner party.

jeremy's starter,
mix fresh garden vegetables salad tossed in orange vinegarette
with avocado, orange and cured salmon
garnished with a strip of fried crispy salmon skin





First home attempt of macarons, Macarons & profiteroles
my desserts that turned out appealing.
Macarons are sandwiched with vanilla cream, the nutty almond taste blend wells with the sweetness of the pastry cream that hints a vanilla aroma.





@Temasek culinary academy,
Moroccan cuisine by me & riane

Moroccan Baked Fish,
Fatimah's salad
( It's named fatimah because morroco is an Islamic country thereby it is named after it's origin)
& Moroccan Lamb soup
they are amazingly delicious, both the baked fish & lamb soup are being seasoned with saffron.







@New york pizza B1 Cathay.

$6.90 a meal for a big slice of pizza that comes along with a fried drumlet and drink.
sinful but delightful!





@ Temasek Culinary Academy
Baked Penne pasta,
Greece stuffed squid & MUDSLIDE!


The delicious looking cookie is MUDSLIDE!
from temasek culinary academy's sugarloaf!
deliciously made with top grade chocolate couverture, and it costs at a cheaply price of $2 for such authentic cookie! the chocolate melts in your mouth down your throat, no greasy feeling!






@Bakerzinz suntec's fountain of wealth

Etoile's chocolate cake,
and macarons' flavoured
(cherry, pistachio, dark chocolate, coffee, passionfruit, coconut)



NEEDA EXERCISE MORE TO EAT MORE!!!