Tag: Blogging

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Blog Food

Satay by the Bay

Satay by the Bay is one of Singapore’s many hawker centres – places where a variety of independent food and drink outlets congregate around a central area with tables and chairs. The idea is that you buy as much or as little as you wish from any of the stalls, then take a seat to eat it.

Access is through Gardens by the Bay, a beautiful and lush green park built on reclaimed land between the Marina Bay area and the waterside. It has two vast domed greenhouses, each of which maintains a bespoke climate to suit plant life that would not thrive here otherwise. It’s a bit like Cornwall’s Eden Project, but set in 30C year round temperatures.

The vast pipe outlets that help maintain the indoor climate of the domes have been dressed up as Supertrees. A 22m high walkway connects them, and gives terrific views over the Gardens with a backdrop of the glass and steel of the CBD.

Some of the many walks allow views of Marina Bay Sands, the vast triple-towered Hotel with a viewing deck across the top. Its design reminded me of my visit to Stonehenge a few months back. It also looks like a huge cricket wicket. Howzat.

In the evening, the Gardens are the venue for an impressive sound and light show, with the Supertrees choreographed to light up to the rhythm of classical music.

All of which makes a pretty good after dinner show for the diners at the hawker centre.

We chose plates of chicken and beef satay, that are cooked to order over hot coals.

The skewers are then served with a spicy peanut dipping sauce, as shown in my photo at the top of the post.

Now, sat here in Singapore’s Changi Airport, our flight is being called, so it’s time to stow my laptop and get to the departure gate.

We have had fun and eaten well in Singapore, but it is time to move on to our next stop. To find out where in the world that will be, check back here this weekend.

Keeping up the current international theme on the ADK Playlist,  here’s Transglobal Underground with the catchy Temple Head.

Categories
Blog Food

Kampong Gelam

Here in Singapore, the district of Kampong Gelam (also spelt Glam) is the traditional heartland of the city state’s Malaysian community. Our visit there, in search of some traditional Malay food, coincided with the start of Ramadan, the period where people of Muslim faith fast during the hours between sunrise and sunset.

We hadn’t been in this part of town during the daytime – that was spent in Chinatown and the Botanic Gardens. Due to the fasting though, I’m guessing that daylight business might have been a little slow for the local catering sector.

However, as Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys once (nearly) said, it changes round here when the sun goes down 🙂 .

As we arrived, the wailing sound of the call to prayers was all pervading, booming out across the network of tightly packed streets from the local Mosque.

The religious service inside was being broadcast live on a large screen, and very well-attended it seemed to be. After a day of fasting, it’s no surprise that the hungry worshippers were ready for some great food, as they spilled out on to the streets afterwards.

And how well served they were! There was traditional Malaysian food, like Satay…

…alongside a range of Turkish, Lebanese and Middle-eastern outlets.

The already numerous restaurants and takeaways were supplemented by the Gemilang (meaning Glorious) Festival, bringing even more food options through abundant market stalls.

I was keen to try a Malay dish I had read about called Nasi Lemak. We found it in a small restaurant that has made it their signature dish, and earned themselves a Michelin star, no less, in the process. For the record, the place is called Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang, and you can look them up in the Michelin Guide.

The food arrived as shown in my main photo at the top of the post. The undoubted star of the show was the mysterious green parcel to the side of the plate.

The wrapping is a pandan leaf, used in south-east Asian cuisine to add fragrance to food. It is secured at either end by bamboo skewers. These are unpinned, and the parcel unfurled to reveal steamed, soft, fluffy jasmine-scented and coconut-flavoured rice.

The rice is served with tender chicken that falls off the bone and a spicy peanut sauce. There is a side of crispy peanuts and anchovies, and soft roasted aubergine.

An interesting and satisfying meal was rounded off with a glass of fresh, chilled coconut juice, that complemented the food well.

There’ll be another post from Singapore in a few days. In the meantime, let’s have some more suitably themed music for the ADK playlist. Here’s the mighty Asian Dub Foundation with Fortress Europe.

Categories
Blog Food

Hello Singapore

I’m off on my travels again, and hoping to post about some excellent world cuisine over the next little while. First stop is the city state of Singapore, home of the Merlion I snapped in my main photo above.

After a 13 hour flight from London, my wife and I were hungry and ready to explore the local neighbourhood where our hotel is located, in the city’s district known as Little India. It is so-called because, since the 19th century, workers and their families travelling here from India have made this district their home.

Consequently, a walk around the local streets is an experience to behold. They teem with garish gold jewellery shops and the lingering scent of incense. There are spangly market stalls packed with colourful saris and dress shirts, at which industrious tailors sit by their sewing machines, ready to customise a garment to your precise fit.

The lanes are sided by canopies and known as five-foot ways. Originally designed to afford residents fresh air with shade from the hot sun, they now provide alfresco seating for hungry diners at the many restaurants and food stalls selling authentic Indian food.

We settled at a corner establishment and ordered the selection below: chicken and vegetable birianis, which came with a raita and selection of dipping sauces.

The side of vegetable samosas was unlike any I have had before. I am used to a filling wrapped up in a deep fried, triangular parcel of filo pastry, but these were pear-shaped, in a crispy pastry that had the sweet, coconut flavour of peshwari naan bread.

It was authentic, no-nonsense fare, cooked and served with cheer (check out these guys, and their cool t-shirts, below).

I’ve read that this is generally an expensive city, but this food came at reasonable prices (less than S$20 per head, which is about £10/US$20, and that included the Tiger beers).

There’ll be more to come from Singapore, so watch this space. If anyone wishes to send me recommendations on local places to eat, or food to try, please post in the comments below.

I’m keeping the Indian vibe going with this track from Monsoon added to the ADK Playlist: Ever So Lonely.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Leek & Aubergine Bake

It was the aubergines that caught my eye this week at the local farm shop. The shiny purple skin was irresistible, and it made me realise that I hadn’t cooked with one for some time. I put one in my basket, along with a fresh leek, and this winter casserole dish began to come together.

My favourite way to cook aubergine is in slices on the ridges of a griddle pan. I like seeing the enormously satisfying tiger stripes forming, as I flip them over to cook on the other side. It’s kind of a reminder that spring is soon around the corner, and the barbecuing season is not that far away.

The striped aubergine is then mixed in with cooked, softened leek, tomato passata and cannellini beans to make a tasty filling base. It is all topped off with a crust of wholemeal breadcrumbs, chopped toasted nuts and grated blue stilton cheese.

Servings

4 adult portions.

Timings

15mins to cook and combine, then 20 mins in the oven at 180C, and a final 5 mins under the grill.

You Will Need

  • 1 aubergine
  • oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 leek
  • 400g can of cannellini beans
  • 500g carton of tomato passata
  • a few twists of black pepper
  • 100g wholemeal breadcrumbs
  • 60g toasted mixed nuts
  • 60g grated stilton cheese

Method

  1. Switch on the oven to warm up to 180C.
  2. Oil a ridged griddle pan and bring it to a moderate heat. Lay slices of aubergine in the pan for 3 – 4 mins, then turn them over. Use your judgment about heat and timing so that you get the nice tiger stripe effect on both sides. Remove to a warm plate.
  3. While the aubergine is frying, crush the garlic clove into a saucepan with some oil, over a moderate heat. Add in the leek, chopped into slices. Stir every so often for 5 – 6 mins until the leek has softened. Pour in the passata and drained cannellini beans, with a few twists of black pepper, and stir. Reduce to a simmer.
  4. Blitz the bread and nuts in a food processor with blade fitted. Tip into a bowl and add the grated cheese. Stir so that the cheese is evenly distributed.
  5. When the oven is up to temperature, transfer the aubergine to a shallow casserole dish. Tip in the leek, bean and tomato mix and gently coat the aubergine slices by turning them over a few times in the dish.
  6. Sprinkle over the breadcrumb, nut and stilton topping and spread it out so that it reaches all four sides. Drizzle some oil over and place in the oven for 20 mins.
  7. For the last 5 mins of cooking, place under a grill so that the topping crisps up.

Customise It!

Lots of opportunity here. Throw in whatever fresh herbs you may have to hand, and mix in a handful of seeds to the topping. Butter beans are a good substitute for the cannellini beans. For a vegan version, omit the stilton cheese or use a suitable vegan cheese, grated.

On the way back from the farm shop, this track came on the car stereo. I love it when a great track that I haven’t heard in a while comes on the radio. Needless to say, I turned the volume up and drummed along with my fingers on the steering wheel. Now we can all enjoy it here! This is Swing Out Sister with Breakout.

Categories
Recipes Snacks

Peanut Butter, Oat & Apricot Bites

Having made my Peanut Butter Boosters recently, I found myself with half a jar of good quality peanut butter left. I wanted to come up with another bite-sized temptation to fill the annoying hunger gap that can open up after exercise, or simply when the next mealtime is still a little way away.

These fit the bill. What’s more, they don’t require any cooking and are very quick to make. There are only 5 ingredients, so you stay in control of exactly what is going into the snack. They are both vegetarian and vegan.

The best part however, is that making them requires the squidge technique i.e. getting your hands into the baking bowl and manipulating the mix with your fingers. Why is that the best bit? Well, when you’ve finished shaping the Bites, your reward is getting to lick your fingers clean. Mmm!

Convinced? Then give this a try…

Servings

Depending on your preferred size, this mix will make around 9 -10 Bites.

Timings

15 mins max to make, after which they are ready to eat. Keep them in the fridge and they’ll last for 2 – 3 days (if they’re not all eaten by then, that is 🙂 ).

You Will Need

  • 120g oats
  • 120g peanut butter
  • 60g maple syrup or runny honey
  • 40g dried apricots, finely chopped
  • a few splashes of milk (dairy or non-dairy)

Method

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and squidge together between your fingers till you have a sticky mix.
  2. Pull off a piece of your desired size and roll into a ball between the palms of both hands. Set on a plate, and repeat till all the mixture is used up.
  3. Place in the fridge.
  4. Enjoy licking your fingers!

Customise It!

You could swap in another dried fruit for the apricots if you wish – dates would go well. Chuck in a handful of seeds if you like.

I’ve carried on listening to The 1975 this past week – their music is very uplifting and it reminds me of a great night in Birmingham with my friend – see The 1975. Here’s another track I particularly like, therefore: The Sound.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Carrot & Parsnip Miso Soup

Warm, filling and comforting, this winter vegetable soup is jazzed up a little with the addition of Japanese miso paste.

I hadn’t used miso before, but wanted to try it after reading about it on some of the other foodblogs here on WordPress. It is made from fermented soya beans, which means that it is rich in protein and good for gut health.

This is the variety that I used, made by Yutaka. I did have a little trouble finding it in Sainsbury’s at first, but eventually came across it in the Far Eastern aisle. Just to clarify, by that I mean the speciality Asian foods section, not that end of the building down by the motorway 🙂

I made a large batch of the soup in a saucepan on the hob, and kept it for a few days. I could then ladle some into a bowl, stir in some miso, and microwave it for around 3 mins for a very quick, tasty and nutritious lunch. It is vegetarian and vegan, so everyone can enjoy what the Japanese call that umami – or rich and savoury – taste.

Servings

About 6 bowlfuls.

Timings

The barley soup mix needs soaking overnight, then boiling for 45 mins. Once that’s ready, the soup takes about 25 mins to make.

You Will Need

  • 100g dried barley/lentils/split peas soup mix
  • oil
  • 1 onion
  • 3 celery sticks
  • 200 – 250g carrots
  • 200 – 250g parsnips
  • 1.5l vegetable stock
  • a few twists of black pepper
  • 1 jar of miso paste

Method

  1. Cover the soup mix with cold water in a bowl and let rest overnight.
  2. The next day, drain the soup mix and rinse in a sieve under cold running water. Place in a large saucepan and cover with boiling water. Let it boil for 10 mins, then reduce to a simmer for another 35 mins. Drain with the sieve, and set aside.
  3. Chop all the veg into chunks and place in the empty saucepan with some oil, over a medium heat. Put on the lid and let it sizzle for around 10 mins, stirring every so often. It should become softened and a little browned at the edges.
  4. Add in the stock and bring to the boil. Then reduce to a simmer for 10 mins.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat for a few moments, and blitz it by plunging in a handheld blender. If you don’t have one, spoon at least half of the soup into a food processor with blade fitted, and blitz it there before returning it to the pan.
  6. Add in the cooked soup mix with 2 tbsp of miso and the black pepper, and stir in. Then simmer for another 5 – 10 mins.
  7. Switch off and let it rest. When it has cooled, transfer to the fridge. It will keep for a few days, during which the texture and flavour will deepen.
  8. To serve, ladle some into a bowl and stir in another tbsp of miso to individual taste. Microwave until hot, and enjoy.

Customise It!

Almost any seasonal winter veg that you have available will go well here. Stick with making the carrot and parsnip prominent, though, as these give it a distinct, sweet flavour. Experiment with the miso, adding as much or as little as necessary to suit your individual taste. The miso already contains salt, which is why I only added black pepper at the seasoning stage.

There probably won’t be a better chance to add Japan to the ADK Playlist, so here they are with the eerie Ghosts.

Categories
Blog Music

The 1975

As a massive music fan (the blog tag line here being Good Food, Great Music), I’m excited to say that this week’s live music experience (see The Lexicon of Love) has continued.

There I was in the ADK Kitchen, working on my next post about a nice vegetarian soup, when a friend called with the offer of a spare ticket to see The 1975 at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham. I hadn’t heard too much of their music, but am always game to see a new band play live, especially one as globally successful as The 1975. Apologies – that soup recipe will have to wait until this weekend, folks!

With my apron hung on its peg, and the spatula in the dishwasher, we headed off in my friend’s car towards the M40.

We weren’t disappointed – The 1975 were very good.

The stage was set extremely stylishly (see my photo above), all in white and, for the first part of the show, decked out like the cool interior of a chic apartment. Warmly illuminated in changing pastel shades, the coffee tables, lamps, armchairs and TV sets created a relaxed feel, against which the band played great music and their engaging frontman, Matty Healy, acted out his inner angst.

I am still not sure whether Matty really is the chainsmoking, hip flask swigging, tortured romantic soul that comes across on stage, or whether this is just a character portraying the emotional vulnerability that runs through the lyrics of so many of the band’s songs. The answer, I suspect, is somewhere in between.

Track after track of their brand of soulful pop rolled out across an adoring audience – some of their biggest songs, like Oh Caroline and I’m In Love With You, included.

They’re clearly a band that like their performance art, and this is stepped up in the middle part of the show. With the band off for a break, Matty, alone on the stage, sinks to his knees before a bank of TV sets, fizzling with snippets of newscasts reporting global issues of concern. I won’t say any more for fear of spoilers, but what happens next is fascinating.

Some people in white coats swarmed on to the stage. No, not to take Matty away – it was the stage crew, who proceeded to rearrange the set for the second half of the show while the band played on. It reminded me of how the road crew build Talking Heads’ set from the floor up, track by track, during the great concert movie, Stop Making Sense.

The final hour of the set was a joyous celebration of the band’s best music, including Tootime, The Sound, Love It If We Made It, and People. It brings pleasure to the whole of a packed arena. Heck, it even brings a smile to Matty’s face.

All in all, a thoughtful, considered, ever changing, engaging and very entertaining performance. I now consider myself a fan!

Here’s one of my favourite tracks that they performed live. The 1975 with It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You).

I’ll be back at the weekend with, er, some soup.

Categories
Blog Music

The Lexicon of Love

The Lexicon of Love by ABC had been playing for several days in the ADK Kitchen, in anticipation of this long-awaited live rendition that I attended this week.

2022 was the 40th anniversary of the iconic album, no less. Where did that time go? The occasion has prompted band leader, Martin Fry, to go on the road on a UK concert tour, performing the work in full. He’s ably supported by the current members of ABC and the Southbank Sinfonia, an orchestra with full strings and percussion sections, conducted by Anne Dudley. Anne was responsible for the orchestral backing arrangements on the original album. She is also known for being part of experimental 80s band, The Art of Noise, along with the album’s producer, Trevor Horn.

To justify such an extravagant tour, an album really needs to hold a special place both in pop heritage, and in the hearts of its audience. That certainly apples here, with a full house of now, somewhat more mature fans still able to sing along, word perfectly, with every track.

Martin takes the audience through the album’s running order, track by track. He reminds us of the days when music was experienced by removing a vinyl disc from a cardboard sleeve, and putting it on a turntable. You placed an arm with a needle on the outside rim and let it run for about 15 mins of joyous sound, until it reached the label in the middle. Then, you flipped it over and did the whole thing again with Side 2. Concepts like streaming, mobile phones and online playlists with shuffle option, were still the stuff of science fiction.

Consequently, the band started with the opening track on Side 1, Show Me, and played the album in its proper running order, right through to the final track on Side 2, the instrumental reprise of The Look of Love. Along the way, every track, including the hit singles Poison Arrow, Tears Are Not Enough, The Look of Love Pt. 1 and All of My Heart received a rapturous welcome.

I was one of the many who played the original (on my little stereo turntable – what else?) more or less on repeat for quite some time when it was first released. It was a time when the New Romantics and Bowie Kids were emerging from the underground nightclubs and beginning to take over what, in those days, were popularly referred to as ‘The Charts’.

The Human League were showing us that electronic pop music was the future, with the Dare album. Spandau Ballet were sporting silk shirts and tartan cummerbunds, later becoming soul boys, embracing funk. Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Visage, Ultravox and others would join them for what became known as the Second British Pop Invasion of the US (the first being the era of The Beatles and The Stones), providing a fresh, colourful and youthful soundtrack for the newly emerging world of 24/7 music television, MTV.

ABC’s masterpiece held a special place in the hearts of this generation.

A trip down memory lane, for sure, but the music still sounds as great as ever, brought to life here on the stage with a great band and the perfectly performed orchestral backing. Martin Fry’s voice holds up fine, and the intricate wordplay of his lyrics still sounds clever and witty. A performance that leaves a warm glow in the heart.

In a nice closing touch, Martin dedicated the performance to both the New Romantics and the Old Romantics in the audience.

Here’s ABC with The Look of Love Pt. 1.

Categories
Mains Recipes

Beetroot Falafel

First of all – yes, they really are that colour! No filter required here.

I had the idea that roasted beetroot might make an interesting falafel. Having bought a bag at the market, I began looking around at a few recipes online and in books.

This version is a combo derived from various sources. The inclusion of chickpeas, tahini, cumin and coriander stays true to the falafel’s middle eastern origins, while roasting the beetroot first with garlic, and drizzled with balsamic vinegar, gives it a definite European dimension. The pieces of beetroot give a bite to the texture and stop the falafel becoming too dry.

The falafel are served with a dipping sauce simply made from tahini, fresh lemon juice, honey and black pepper.

And they’re both vegetarian and vegan, so everyone is happy 🙂

Servings

This made 10 falafel.

Timings

25 mins to roast the beetroot, then 10 mins to make up the falafel. They then roast in the oven at 180C for 20 mins.

You Will Need:

  • 300g raw beetroot, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 garlic clove
  • oil
  • balsamic vinegar to drizzle
  • 250g chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • a twist of sea salt

For the tahini dip:

  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • a twist of black pepper
  • toasted sesame seeds to sprinkle

Method

  1. Scatter the chunks of beetroot on a roasting tray. Crush the garlic clove over the chunks and drizzle with oil. Place in the oven at 180C for 25 mins. Half way through, take the tray out and drizzle the balsamic over.
  2. Let the roasted beetroot cool for 5 mins while you prepare the rest of the mixture.
  3. Put the chickpeas, tahini, coriander and cumin in a food processor with blade fitted. Add in the beetroot and any oil/garlic scrapings from the roasting tray. Blitz to a smooth consistency.
  4. Shape into patties with the palms of both hands. Place on a clean roasting tray and brush with oil. Place in the oven for 20 mins, turning them over with a spatula half way through.
  5. While the falafel are in the oven, combine the ingredients for the dipping sauce with a spoon. Sprinkle over some toasted sesame seeds just before serving.
  6. Serve the cooked falafel with the dipping sauce alongside, as shown in my main photo above.

Customise It!

Good as they are, there are two things I will do differently next time I make these. Firstly, I’ll include some chopped fresh coriander, which I think will enhance further both the taste and the look. Secondly, I would like to try cooking them in an air fryer, which I reckon will give them a crispier shell.

I wouldn’t change the colour though which, as you can see from my photo, is a deep shade of purple. Now that’s what I call a cue for adding the next track to the ADK playlist! Air guitar at the ready everyone, this is Deep Purple with Smoke on the Water.

Categories
Bakes Recipes Snacks

Peanut Butter Boosters

Here’s a wholesome and nutritious, home-made alternative to those commercially-produced cereal bars we often reach for, to cure the hunger pangs between meals. I wanted to see if I could create a version that gave greater control over the ingredients and, in particular, the carb and sugar levels.

The words ‘peanut butter’ are enough to bring a smile to most faces, so I decided to put that centre stage. I used a make that consists of 100% peanuts, with no palm oil (Meridian).

Taking inspiration from a recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, I also cut out all flour and eggs, and brought in oats, seeds and honey. I used muscovado sugar instead of the refined variety, and reduced the amount of it by about a third from what is often found in sweet recipes.

The challenge with removing a number of staple ingredients from a bake is finding a mixture that holds together, and doesn’t descend into crumbs. The consistency of the peanut butter and the stickiness of the honey definitely helped with this, as did letting it cool completely in the tin, before cutting into slices.

The resulting booster bars do hold together – see my main photo above. They’re also vegetarian and vegan. They aren’t completely crumb-free, but that’s a small price to pay for having a box full of these tasty and nutritious boosters to plug that hunger gap.

And if you do get some crumbs – hey, just gather them up and sprinkle them over your breakfast cereal – they’re delicious!

Servings

16 booster bars.

Timings

15 mins to prepare, 30 mins to bake at 180C.

You Will Need:

  • 125g vegetable baking spread
  • 80g light muscovado sugar
  • 125g peanut butter
  • 75g runny honey
  • zest of 1 orange
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 200g oats
  • 100g dried apricots, finely chopped
  • 120g mixed seeds e.g. pumpkin, sunflower.

Method

  1. Grease and line a traybake tin – mine used is 20 cm square. Switch on the oven to 180C.
  2. Place the spread, brown sugar, peanut butter and honey in a saucepan and warm over a gentle heat. Stir until it melts into a thick mixture.
  3. Add in the other ingredients and stir well to combine.
  4. Tip into the prepared tin and level with a spoon. Place in the oven for 30 mins.
  5. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the tin. Turn out carefully and cut into 16 squares.

Customise It!

Swap in other dried fruit for the apricot. The real nut fiends can swap in some different varieties of chopped nuts (e.g, pecans) for some of the seeds, if you wish. Do what’s necessary to give you the tasty energy boost you need.

This week in the ADK Kitchen I’ve been playing the new release by The Black Keys, a band from Ohio that I really like and who’ve already provided several tracks for the ADK Playlist. With all that energy from the Peanut Butter Boosters, this new track should have you up on your feet, singing and dancing along with its catchy chorus: Beautiful People (Stay High).