A whole jug of home-made KIMCHI! - US$8.99
Kimchi goodness. yumsssss...
Grilled saba and kimchi for dinner - I learnt how to use the broiler (part of the oven) to grill my Saba!
Pyrenees
Monday, 24 October 2011
Korean Market Rocks
Four hours from Del Rio is Austin where there is a reasonable Korean population for Korean markets and restaurants to survive.. and this is where i bought all this
A whole jug of home-made KIMCHI! - US$8.99
Kimchi goodness. yumsssss...
Grilled saba and kimchi for dinner - I learnt how to use the broiler (part of the oven) to grill my Saba!
A whole jug of home-made KIMCHI! - US$8.99Kimchi goodness. yumsssss...Grilled saba and kimchi for dinner - I learnt how to use the broiler (part of the oven) to grill my Saba!
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Updates!
I have been pretty occupied lately hence the lack of updates!
Ah C just finished his last check ride ( kind of like a test) for the current phase so we drove out of Del Rio for the weekend. We headed to this city called Frederisksburg, which is a German town where early German settlers resided. It still retains part of the German culture and is home to Texas German, a dialect. As last Saturday was Oktoberfest, there was a three-day carnival and we went for a half-day visit for some German bratwursts and German music & dance - pictures are up on facebook!
We also went outlet shopping AGAIN. As we are going snowboarding in November during Thanksgiving break, we went in search of some ski jackets and pants. We have shortlisted a few but will probably buy them later since it is still more than one month away. There are a few shops which i frequent while i am at the outlet so i am going to list down my favourites:
1. Calvin Klein - for underwear and lingerie! its really 60% cheaper here than in singapore, sometimes i think its crazy.
2. Crabtree and Evelyn - i bought 4 bottles of 500ml Jojoba Oil Moisturiser at US$49. I just checked the Crabtree sg website and a 250ml bottle retails at $35.
3. Ninewest and Aldo for shoes and bags.
4. Banana republic, Gap and Guess for clothes.
5. Kate Spade is cheap too but recently I haven't seen any nice designs.
Before the drive back to Del Rio, we made a stop at the oriental supermarket to stock up on some cooking supplies - i think i went crazy there. We chalked up a bill of USD198 all on food, food of all sorts - unagi, sushi rice mix, fishball, meatballs, xiao bai cai, nai bai (vege), pandan leaves, anchovies, groundnuts, rock sugar, hua diao jiu, egg noodle, lotus paste and red bean paste baos, hello panda, pocky, chocopie, korean seaweed snack, hichew etc etc.
At the rate I am cooking, I think I might be able to operate a hawker center when I am back....
I tried making char siew this week and it was yummy! Ah C say got hawker center standard. haahaa.
I also made dumplings last week and to make it less sinful, I used grounded lean turkey instead of grounded pork - partly cos the ground pork here is prepacked and i don't have the option of asking for leaner cuts. There is no dumpling skin for sale in Del Rio so I had to make some from scratch. Its a tedious process - I spent the entire morning, mainly to make the dumpling skin but the result was satisfying. When Ah C says "Its damn good", I know its all worthwhile :)
And....
I have decided to start my driving lessons here... and my instructor will be none other than TAY AH C! Haha. Its rather convenient to get a license here. Just need to pass this theory test (much like our basic theory) to obtain the learner's permit and I can start my driving with any licensed driver as my instructor. So right now, I need to mug this book, which unfortunately, I haven't started since obtaining one week back:
Ah C will be finishing his last flight today for this phase and he got permission to apply for leave the coming week. So we will be going to New Orleans for holiday! New Orleans has been named the most "unique city" in the United States hence I am really looking forward to it. I hear there is a lot of nice food there - 2 more days!
Ah C just finished his last check ride ( kind of like a test) for the current phase so we drove out of Del Rio for the weekend. We headed to this city called Frederisksburg, which is a German town where early German settlers resided. It still retains part of the German culture and is home to Texas German, a dialect. As last Saturday was Oktoberfest, there was a three-day carnival and we went for a half-day visit for some German bratwursts and German music & dance - pictures are up on facebook!
We also went outlet shopping AGAIN. As we are going snowboarding in November during Thanksgiving break, we went in search of some ski jackets and pants. We have shortlisted a few but will probably buy them later since it is still more than one month away. There are a few shops which i frequent while i am at the outlet so i am going to list down my favourites:
1. Calvin Klein - for underwear and lingerie! its really 60% cheaper here than in singapore, sometimes i think its crazy.
2. Crabtree and Evelyn - i bought 4 bottles of 500ml Jojoba Oil Moisturiser at US$49. I just checked the Crabtree sg website and a 250ml bottle retails at $35.
3. Ninewest and Aldo for shoes and bags.
4. Banana republic, Gap and Guess for clothes.
5. Kate Spade is cheap too but recently I haven't seen any nice designs.
Before the drive back to Del Rio, we made a stop at the oriental supermarket to stock up on some cooking supplies - i think i went crazy there. We chalked up a bill of USD198 all on food, food of all sorts - unagi, sushi rice mix, fishball, meatballs, xiao bai cai, nai bai (vege), pandan leaves, anchovies, groundnuts, rock sugar, hua diao jiu, egg noodle, lotus paste and red bean paste baos, hello panda, pocky, chocopie, korean seaweed snack, hichew etc etc.
At the rate I am cooking, I think I might be able to operate a hawker center when I am back....
I tried making char siew this week and it was yummy! Ah C say got hawker center standard. haahaa.
I also made dumplings last week and to make it less sinful, I used grounded lean turkey instead of grounded pork - partly cos the ground pork here is prepacked and i don't have the option of asking for leaner cuts. There is no dumpling skin for sale in Del Rio so I had to make some from scratch. Its a tedious process - I spent the entire morning, mainly to make the dumpling skin but the result was satisfying. When Ah C says "Its damn good", I know its all worthwhile :)
And....
I have decided to start my driving lessons here... and my instructor will be none other than TAY AH C! Haha. Its rather convenient to get a license here. Just need to pass this theory test (much like our basic theory) to obtain the learner's permit and I can start my driving with any licensed driver as my instructor. So right now, I need to mug this book, which unfortunately, I haven't started since obtaining one week back:
Ah C will be finishing his last flight today for this phase and he got permission to apply for leave the coming week. So we will be going to New Orleans for holiday! New Orleans has been named the most "unique city" in the United States hence I am really looking forward to it. I hear there is a lot of nice food there - 2 more days!
Saturday, 24 September 2011
What you can't find, you make
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Saturday, 17 September 2011
A more fruitful week
so.. what have i been doing?
For the first week i was super nua... I worked out only once during the week. I did not touch any books. Most of the time I was surfing the net and watching tv or korean drama. I have completed one drama by the way.
This week I decided to stop nua-ing! If not I will be really lazy when i go back to sg. So some improvement to my regime!
I studied two pages of the korean text book.
I vacuumed and mopped the house (intend to do this twice a week).
I have been working out twice every three days.
I went for a spouse gathering and learned the game of crud (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crud_(game) and will be participating in come competition in early October!
Hmm, I started on another korean drama...
And today I am going to start using my KitchenAid Electric Mixer to make japanese sponge cake! I was actually in the midst of reading the instruction manual for the mixer and decided to write this post.
This thing above costs $799 in Singapore but I got it for US$250 (~S$300) from overstock.com here. Big difference right?! Just need a transformer and I can use it in sg too - the voltage output is different.
Not sure how the cake will turn out cos i always find sponge cake the toughest - either they don't rise enough, they crack, or they turn out too dry. I feel that the best sponge cake must be soft, moist and of cos, spongy! I hope it will be nice, but if its not, i will practise and hopefully it will be good one day!
For the first week i was super nua... I worked out only once during the week. I did not touch any books. Most of the time I was surfing the net and watching tv or korean drama. I have completed one drama by the way.
This week I decided to stop nua-ing! If not I will be really lazy when i go back to sg. So some improvement to my regime!
I studied two pages of the korean text book.
I vacuumed and mopped the house (intend to do this twice a week).
I have been working out twice every three days.
I went for a spouse gathering and learned the game of crud (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crud_(game) and will be participating in come competition in early October!
Hmm, I started on another korean drama...
And today I am going to start using my KitchenAid Electric Mixer to make japanese sponge cake! I was actually in the midst of reading the instruction manual for the mixer and decided to write this post.
This thing above costs $799 in Singapore but I got it for US$250 (~S$300) from overstock.com here. Big difference right?! Just need a transformer and I can use it in sg too - the voltage output is different.
Not sure how the cake will turn out cos i always find sponge cake the toughest - either they don't rise enough, they crack, or they turn out too dry. I feel that the best sponge cake must be soft, moist and of cos, spongy! I hope it will be nice, but if its not, i will practise and hopefully it will be good one day!
Thursday, 8 September 2011
Beginning of life in Del Rio
Arrived in Del Rio (city), Texas (state)!
Friends have been asking me if I am safe as there have been news reports of tropical storms, wildfire, droughts and drying lakes.. well, I am for now! Texas is really huge, with a total area of 696,200 sq km as compared to Singapore which has an area 710 sq km, so I am really hours of drive away from the affected areas.
By the way, this is where I am (really close to the borders of Mexico):
He baked a cake, which could have have looked nicer with practice :P but it tasted alright! Disclaimer: i am rather picky when it comes to cakes and desserts!
My pressies~
Ipad2!!!
And cookbooks from my girlfriends! I think its so easy for my friends to pick me a gift! On my 21st birthday, I got two exact same cookbooks from 2 groups of friends. And an apron. And a cake mixer. That says it all.
For dinner we had Mexican food at a highly-rated restaurant (tripadvisor) and it was good! Much better mexican cuisine compared to the usual tortillas, enchilladas, quessadillas which I have eaten.
Friends have been asking me if I am safe as there have been news reports of tropical storms, wildfire, droughts and drying lakes.. well, I am for now! Texas is really huge, with a total area of 696,200 sq km as compared to Singapore which has an area 710 sq km, so I am really hours of drive away from the affected areas.
By the way, this is where I am (really close to the borders of Mexico):
So the plane ride here was a a really long one, 7 hours from SIN to Narita (NRT), another 12 hours from Narita to Houston then 40 minutes from Houston (IAH) to San Antonio. And to get from San Antonio to Del Rio, its another 3 hours drive. Other than the horrendous service of one United Airlines air stewardess, overall flight was not too bad - the leg from NRT to IAH was on Continental airlines and in-flight food (japanese - salmon!) was surprisingly good. The personal in-flight entertainment system came with a rather big screen and selection of movies was reasonable wide. Flight crew service was pleasant too - a couple of older american ladies and some younger japanese women - all very polite.
Because I flew on my birthday and Del Rio is behind Sg by 13 hours, i had a 37-hour birthday! HEHE.
For once, I really didn't expect Ah C to prepare something for me when I arrive, but he did!
He booked a suite (very value for money!) at the Air Force base in San Antonio so we could spend a night there and go outlet shopping (for essentials of cos) the next day before we drive back to Del Rio.
He baked a cake, which could have have looked nicer with practice :P but it tasted alright! Disclaimer: i am rather picky when it comes to cakes and desserts!
My pressies~
Ipad2!!!
And cookbooks from my girlfriends! I think its so easy for my friends to pick me a gift! On my 21st birthday, I got two exact same cookbooks from 2 groups of friends. And an apron. And a cake mixer. That says it all.
For dinner we had Mexican food at a highly-rated restaurant (tripadvisor) and it was good! Much better mexican cuisine compared to the usual tortillas, enchilladas, quessadillas which I have eaten.
Tortilla chips to start
Fried oysters
Grilled beef tenderloin, green chicken enchilladas with avocado butter sauce, rice and beans
Baked snapper stuffed with crabmeat, broiled lobster, grilled shrimp in signature Veracruz sauce
Fried oysters
Grilled beef tenderloin, green chicken enchilladas with avocado butter sauce, rice and beans
Baked snapper stuffed with crabmeat, broiled lobster, grilled shrimp in signature Veracruz sauce
The following day we had a quick breakfast and a chop chop session at the San Marcos Premium Outlet before we headed to one of my favourite restaurants for late lunch-
Where I usually order the same things....
Where I usually order the same things....
Crab cakes!
Grilled salmon with bbq sauce(very moist), mashed potates (the best mash I have eaten to date), fried onion strips
Bedroom:
Food storage room
Grilled salmon with bbq sauce(very moist), mashed potates (the best mash I have eaten to date), fried onion strips
Back to our home in Del Rio (within air force base) - some sneak picts!
Living room
Bedroom:
Food storage room
Kitchen
Spot my KitchenAid mixer! :P
As the house doesn't come furnished (except for refrigerator, oven and dishwasher, we had to buy the remaining stuff. Probably looks sparse. As we were only going to be here for 9months (last 2 months in another location) , we merely got the necessities (and things I need to I don't go crazy from boredom).
Anyways, will update again!
Monday, 1 August 2011
Pique Nique
More and more brunch places are springing up in Singapore and as I love eating and is keen on checking them out one by one, I decided to write up a few posts to give my personal view on each one of them!
Pique Nique (pronounced 'pic-nic'), which has taking over the space once occupied by McDonald's in the Takashimaya's basement in Ngee Ann city, is a New York-style bakery-cum-bistro.
It is set up by award-winning pastry chef Pang Kok Keong,who was the executive pastry chef behind restaurant group Les Amis' Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie chain. After leaving Canele, the chef founded new restaurant group Sugar Daddy and has went on to start up two shops with different concepts: a French patisserie Antoinette and of cos, American-style bakery Pique Nique.
What you will find in Pique Nique are all-day-breakfast items such as eggs cooked any style, pancakes, salads, burgers and hot dogs. The bakery also have cupcakes, waffles, cakes and sundaes.
When we arrived at 11.30am on Saturday morning, we were rather surprised to see that there were not many people in the shop - we were one of the three tables occupied and we wondered if the food was bad. But as we stayed on, the crowd began to grow and by the time we leave at about 12.30pm, the place was full.
Prices are quite reasonable,ranging from $7.50 for two-eggs breakfast to $13 for a beef burger.
We ordered the egg benedict, which was served on a toasted crispy piece of bread. It was decent, although the hollandaise was a bit too sour.
I liked the toasted sesame bun of the burger but the lettuce was too huge and the raw taste of green vegetable was a little overwhelming. Oh but I love the fries! Thick (lots of potato), and rather tasty with a dash of powdered spices on them.
The waffle (with caramelized bananas, chocolate sauce and a scoop of malted milk ice cream) was thick and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside - reminds me of A&W waffles IN THE PAST (which was my favourite). But you have to eat it real quick as it soaks up the moisture from the ice cream and turns soggy rather quickly.
They also have a retail area just outside the cafe selling cakes and pastries and it looks really attractive with all the colourful displays.
All in all, although the food is not fantastic (but acceptably good), and with its reasonable prices and chic and casual setting, I think its a good place to meet up with friends for some brunch/snacks. Definitely worth trying.
Pique Nique (pronounced 'pic-nic'), which has taking over the space once occupied by McDonald's in the Takashimaya's basement in Ngee Ann city, is a New York-style bakery-cum-bistro.
It is set up by award-winning pastry chef Pang Kok Keong,who was the executive pastry chef behind restaurant group Les Amis' Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie chain. After leaving Canele, the chef founded new restaurant group Sugar Daddy and has went on to start up two shops with different concepts: a French patisserie Antoinette and of cos, American-style bakery Pique Nique.
What you will find in Pique Nique are all-day-breakfast items such as eggs cooked any style, pancakes, salads, burgers and hot dogs. The bakery also have cupcakes, waffles, cakes and sundaes.
When we arrived at 11.30am on Saturday morning, we were rather surprised to see that there were not many people in the shop - we were one of the three tables occupied and we wondered if the food was bad. But as we stayed on, the crowd began to grow and by the time we leave at about 12.30pm, the place was full.
Prices are quite reasonable,ranging from $7.50 for two-eggs breakfast to $13 for a beef burger.
We ordered the egg benedict, which was served on a toasted crispy piece of bread. It was decent, although the hollandaise was a bit too sour.
I liked the toasted sesame bun of the burger but the lettuce was too huge and the raw taste of green vegetable was a little overwhelming. Oh but I love the fries! Thick (lots of potato), and rather tasty with a dash of powdered spices on them.
The waffle (with caramelized bananas, chocolate sauce and a scoop of malted milk ice cream) was thick and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside - reminds me of A&W waffles IN THE PAST (which was my favourite). But you have to eat it real quick as it soaks up the moisture from the ice cream and turns soggy rather quickly.
They also have a retail area just outside the cafe selling cakes and pastries and it looks really attractive with all the colourful displays.
All in all, although the food is not fantastic (but acceptably good), and with its reasonable prices and chic and casual setting, I think its a good place to meet up with friends for some brunch/snacks. Definitely worth trying.
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