Recipe of the month: Vegan Chocolate Pots

Two years too late but we are finally HOME for the holidays 🏡

 

You know, I had mentally prepared myself that we would be spending the year-end holidays again in Singapore. I had planned lots of fun activities to diminish the gloom of yet another year away from family and friends. But all of a sudden, travel opened up so one thing led to another and soon we had booked our tickets. Plans were made with cautious optimism. But then came the Omicron scare and unexpected changes in rules which put things on shaky ground. But after much deliberation (and a gigantic leap of faith!), we decided to go ahead with our plans because of the ghastly prospect of continued restrictions in 2022 (who knows right? 🤷🏻‍♀️). 

So during the first week of December, after an absolutely frenzied week of wrapping up work, shopping, sorting, cleaning, packing, preparing for the new school year, drowning in documents, forms, PCR tests and what not, we landed in India 😊

After spending almost two glorious weeks with my family in Mysore, we are now enjoying the remainder of our holiday in Bangalore. The weather is lovely and being at home with family is even better.

With our unexpected travel plans, I haven't been able to maintain a consistent blogging schedule. I had planned a few posts for December but I haven't been able to execute any of them. Oh well!

If you have been following my blog, you would know that almost every year I do a Christmas special recipe post. As per my original plan, this year I wanted to make gingerbread cookies with the kids. I had even bought the cutters and all the required ingredients. But I obviously had to change plans. Being in India, I decided to do something simpler and also make it vegan because my BIL and his wife (who are currently holidaying in India with us) have been vegan for many years and I wanted them to be able to enjoy the dessert as well 😊

These Vegan Chocolate Pots literally need just THREE ingredients and take barely 10 minutes to make. There is no tofu or avocado or coconut cream which are the usual suspects in vegan desserts. I won't go as far as to say that this dessert is "healthy" (healthy-ish maybe?) but if you look at the ingredients individually, they are all good stuff. Of course, you need to wait a few hours for the dessert to chill in the refrigerator but otherwise, this is the most simplest dessert you can put together. In case you don't want to make it vegan, just substitute almond milk with regular dairy milk. 

The incorporation of dates imparts enough sweetness to this dessert so you can go for 100% cocoa chocolate. I have used 70% dairy-free chocolate because that is what was available over here on short notice. I garnished the dessert with strawberries to offset the extra sweetness. We absolutely loved the smooth mousse like texture. It felt like eating luscious nutty chocolate spread out of a cup.

This is a great make-ahead dessert that looks pretty, tastes good and will appeal to almost everyone with the exception of those weirdos who don't like chocolate (sorry 😄). 

 

I hope you try it and love it the same way my family did.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year  

Book review: Hooligans of Kandahar by Joseph J Kassabian

Hello and greetings from India 😊🙏 

If you were wondering why I have been silent on the blog, now you know. I will be sharing more on my (rather unexpected) trip back home in the coming few weeks but for now, I have a book review for you that was long pending. 

Hooligans of Kandahar

Author: Joseph J Kassabian

Genre: Non-fiction

Release date: August 9th 2018

Published by: TCK Publishing

Page numbers: 258

Joseph Kassabian was born and raised in the Metro Detroit area of Michigan and enlisted in the U.S. army in December of 2005 at the age of 17. He served multiple combat tours in support of the Global War on Terror. 

Based on true events, Hooligans of Kandahar is a gutsy and unvarnished account of ground realities in war-torn Afghanistan from the point of view of a U.S. Army soldier. The narrator, Joseph Kassabian was deployed for a tour of duty based around Kandahar in Afghanistan for the duration of 1 year from May 2011 to 2012. The focus of the memoir is not on the war or its outcome but on the daily lives of the soldiers during their deployment. 

The Hooligans of Kandahar was written in 2017 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

***Synopsis***

The novel opens with young U.S. soldiers in their homeland basking in the sun, smoking and surrounded by anxious family members waiting for buses to whisk them away to a war they know very little about. They are excited by the prospect of going to war despite being filled with apprehension and uncertainty. 

The second squad are nicknamed “Hooligans” because of their inherently violent nature and propensity to cause mayhem. The hooligans don't think twice about being insubordinate, brutalizing Afghan civilians, stealing another squad’s air conditioner (or even a goat), playing with explosives or firing a grenade dangerously near themselves. For these soldiers, living and working in deplorable conditions with extremes of weather (blistering heat and numbing cold), appalling lack of sanitation resulting in a hotbed of diseases and a startling inadequacy of resources and facilities proves to be a battle all in itself. If that wasn't enough, having to deal with the mostly uncooperative (and sometimes hostile) locals, corrupt Afghan police and the incognizant Afghan army while facing periodic life-threatening attacks from Taliban insurgents perpetually puts them on edge, thus threatening their mental faculties. The soldiers survive on caffeine, nicotine, and sleeping pills. Their way of life in Afghanistan becomes a recipe for chronic physical and psychological stress. If the Hooligans were left to their own devices in Afghanistan, their attitude would have sent them to their graves. Squad leader "Slim" who although manages to get his soldiers in line, subjects them to an unrelenting rage often bordering on insanity. 

The hooligans go on a wild series of misadventures during their time in Afghanistan. Their days bleed together in a haze of insomnia, random missions, planned missions, guard tower duty and supply runs which forms the main content of the book.  It also sheds light on the interactions between the members of the squad and the dynamics they share with their superiors. It also highlights their undying loyalty to one another and their fortitude. 

My thoughts....

The last book I read on Afghanistan chronicled the lives of ordinary Afghans from the perspective of an Afghan. This memoir by an American shines light on the daily lives of U.S Army soldiers in hostile territory and provides a completely different perspective. 

The goal of Kassabian's squad was to capture Mullah Omar, one of the leaders of the Taliban and a wanted fugitive but they didn’t even come close. Hardly any of them believed in their mission in Afghanistan in the first place. As a reader, it felt frustrating that nothing the soldiers did on the ground seemed to matter to them. Even after sacrificing their mind, body and spirit, they never felt like they accomplished anything. The novel ends with the soldiers exhausted and over-medicated with mental and physical scars for life.

10 outdoor spaces to visit in Singapore during the year-end holidays

Judging by the number of views my posts on outdoor parks and gardens have garnered in the past two years, it seems quite apparent to me that folks living in Singapore have really been exploring green spaces across the island. With travel out of the picture for so long, this is hardly surprising. I myself have been out with my family on weekends checking out off-the-beaten-track spots for leisure. There are still so many places that I am yet to cross of my list. It just goes to show that Singapore isn't as deprived of nature as it once seemed.

After naively assuming that this Covid-19 nightmare might be coming to an end, we now have the new coronavirus variant Omicron to envelope us in new worries and fears! I wonder what next year has in store for us long-suffering people of the world 😓 

Just as there appeared to be a bright light at the end of the tunnel with respect to travel, the clouds of anxiety and uncertainty are now looming large thanks to this damn virus which just doesn't seem to give up - it is just one genetic makeover after the next. Despite that, for the upcoming December holidays, it seems like travel is likely on the cards for a large number of Singapore residents who have been eagerly waiting for an opportunity to visit family or friends living overseas and/or escape the monotony of the past two years. Then there are those who would like to err on the side of caution and defer any kind of travel for a variety of valid reasons. I totally understand and respect both points of view. 

If you get to travel during these December holidays, then good for you! I hope that you enjoy yourselves. Stay safe and in prime health folks.

For those of you who are going to spend the holidays in Singapore, that's okay too. If your travel plans have been disrupted then please don't get too disheartened. I hope you get to take a few days off from work, rest, recharge and get to spend quality time with your family and friends. Go out and have some fun. Eat and be merry 😊 Happiness is a state of mind so try to put yourselves in places where that state of mind will come readily and naturally. On that last note, I have even compiled a list of serene outdoor places in Singapore you could go to. 

These places are not ranked in any order of preference. They are places we enjoy going as a family and if you haven't checked any of them out, I hope this post will inspire you to do so. 

So without further ado, presenting 10 outdoor spaces to visit in Singapore during the year-end holidays,

Baker's Corner: Turkish Pide with Cheese and Egg

I know it isn't even December yet but who else is excited for the holiday season? 🙋

You know, I went ahead and planned an elaborate agenda for the year end holidays. But recently, all my plans have been turned topsy-turvy. I'm still going to enjoy the holidays, no question about that, but it is just going to be different than how I thought it was going to be. I don't want to talk about it lest I jinx it or something. Fingers crossed that everything works out. More updates on that in the next few weeks 😊

Let's get back to today's recipe shall we? I love Turkish food. Aside from the fact that the cuisine is vibrant and delicious, I think another reason could be the similarity with Indian food. They have pita, pide & bazlama while we have naan, roti and paratha; they have pilav while we have pulao; they have cacık while we have raita; they have ayran while we have lassi; their sütlaç is a reminder of our kheer; they have kebabs and koftas just like we do; they love cumin, coriander, nuts, onions, tomatoes, fresh herbs and dairy products much like we do. And not to mention, a common love of sweets, coffee and tea, despite the differences in method of preparation. Home cooking and hospitality is an integral component Turkish culture as it is to ours. Their cuisine is much more mellow and heavy with meat usage (lamb especially) but still immensely appeals to the modern Indian palate, vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike. Gözleme, pide, börek, abagannuc, dolmas, hummus, muhammara, labneh, cacık, kunefe and baklava are some of my absolute favourite dishes from this Ottoman cuisine. 

I recently had the opportunity to attend a Turkish cooking class and I grabbed it. The well-known Turkish pastry chef based in Gold Coast, Australia, taught us how to make a variety of Turkish favourites. One among them was this Turkish Pide with cheese and egg. The class was wonderful and I was inspired to try everything ASAP.

I made a few minor modifications to the recipe to suit my preferences. Although slightly time consuming, the process was fairly easy and the pide that came out of the oven looked and smelled so good that everyone dived into it right away. I loved the flavours and texture of the bread, egg & cheese in every bite. Those nigella seeds were a genius addition. I also sprinkled a bit of sumac which brightened up the flavour. 

This recipe yields 8 fairly large pide. If you want a variation, you can make the same quantity of dough as mentioned in the recipe but make only half the amount of cheese filling. You can then make 4 pide and use the rest of the dough to make 4 gözleme (flatbreads filled with spinach, feta & onion). That is what I did and we enjoyed both the pide and gözleme equally. 

I hope you like and try this recipe. You can consider making it for your upcoming Christmas or New Year party spread.

Restaurant review: Lagnaa Barefoot Dining at Little India, Singapore

Last month, I met up with two of my dental school friends for dinner. One of them was leaving Singapore so it was a mini farewell of sorts. For the venue, we picked Lagnaa Barefoot Dining restaurant located in Little India.

The reason we picked this venue was because they offered the concept of barefoot dining and have the Michelin Bib Gourmand nod. 

At Lagnaa, you are invited to slip off your footwear, get comfy on the floor and partake in mouth-watering Indian fare. The barefoot dining concept is not new to those of us who grew up in an Indian household, especially a South Indian household where sitting on the floor cross legged and eating from a plantain leaf used to be a common if not everyday occurrence. But after moving away from the homeland, you tend to leave parts of your cultural habits behind. And so, we welcomed the idea of sitting barefoot on the floor and enjoying a meal together.

Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, I hadn't been to Little India in an exceptionally long time. In fact, I was finding it hard to remember the last time I had been there. I happened to reach early so spent some time walking around and taking in all the familiar sights, sounds and smells. 

This a one-of-a-kind bistro is located at 6 Upper Dickson Road, an offshoot of Serangoon road. Look out for the chef statue out front and you will not miss it.

Lagnaa is housed in a white shop house building which has a rustic dated look to it. There is invited graffiti on the white arch at the entrance done by satisfied customers. You will notice several hanging alcohol bottles flanking the entrance. 

Since I was one of the first patrons to arrive, the friendly manager Santhi joined me at an outdoor table for some light-hearted banter. I also spoke to the charming chef Kaesavan (K7), the founder and mastermind of Lagnaa who champions Indian cuisine and dares to be different. Lagnaa means "your essence" in Tamil. Chef Kaesavan is no stranger to the F&B industry. He spent years perfecting his recipes and techniques to create a dining experience around the six ayurvedic flavours of Indian cuisine: Sweet, spicy, bitter, salty, sour, astringent and chilli. He was a bit disappointed to learn that we would be ordering only vegetarian food but we nonetheless had an illuminating chat about food 😊 I learnt more about the restaurant, the cuisine and the philosophy behind it. 

Once my friends arrived, we did the Safe Entry Check-In and showed our completed vaccination status. After that the three of us made our way upstairs. 

The ground floor is open (non-AC) and has a long and narrow configuration, a bright yellow accent wall and wooden tables and chairs providing a regular dining experience. 

The top floor is where the barefoot dining experience is and this space is fully air-conditioned. You are to leave your footwear at the bottom of the stairs. My advice is that if you have bad knees or are unable to sit on the floor for a prolonged duration then it is better you avoid this option. Also, remember to wear pants or a long dress or skirt for a more comfortable experience 😊

This level typically looks like the inside of a shophouse. With wooden floor and accents, white walls, mood lighting, warm tones, low tables and patterned cushions, the space has a more homely and inviting look. 

The menu has a good selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, both North-Indian and South-Indian. Know that you can choose your spice level —​ from 1 (for those who prefer it mild) to a​ 10 (for the hardcore chilli fans). Even if you are a self-confessed spice lover, you can’t just jump straight to the highest level. To get there, you have to start from level 1 and work your way up. Only those who pass level 6 get to proceed to the finale. Those who complete level 7 get food on the house. Those who complete level 3 and above will get a clothes peg with your name on it, pinned on the restaurant’s “Wall Of Fame”.  

And the chef runs a Chilli Challenge for those who dare to put their money where their mouth is. Finish a full portion of Level 10 Curry without the assistance of any yoghurt or milk based product and you could go home $10,000 richer! 

Are you tempted to try?? Not to deter you but I think it is my duty to mention that no one has done it before 😆

None of us were up for any kind of chilli challenge (living overseas can gradually diminish one's tolerance to spice) so we ordered a few items to share with moderate spice levels. My husband would be a much better sport at attempting a chilli challenge so I made a mental note to bring him here. Keep in mind that they don't serve water at the table. You would need to go and get it yourself. Not a big deal for me but I obviously can't speak for everybody. 

Deepavali Special: Kalakand

Okay folks. I know this is super last minute. I really wanted to publish this blog post last weekend but I just wasn't able to. Well, better late than never is what I'm going to say in manner of consolation.

Kalakand is also called Indian Milk Cake. This is a rich melt-in-the mouth, sweet and creamy Indian dessert with nutty and floral hints and a pleasant grainy texture. 

This delectable sweet dish can be traced to Uttar Pradesh in India but has gained popularity in other states as well. The traditional way of making Kalakand is elaborate and time-consuming. The milk is curdled to get Indian cottage cheese (paneer) and mixed with sugar. This mixture is then cooked on medium heat till all the moisture evaporates and it attains a moist and grainy-crumbly consistency. In today's time, culinary short cuts are welcomed with open arms. The millennial generation has come up with an ingenious way to make this sweet dish in 30 minutes flat while still retaining the authentic taste and texture. 

I made Kalakand yesterday and it came out so well. My kids absolutely loved it. And I was surprised by how easy it was to make. It was the day before the eve of Deepavali and I had henna applied on one palm which hadn't dried completely so I literally made this Kalakand with one hand! 

I will definitely be making this addictive sweet dish more often so if not for anyone else, I need to document this recipe for myself.

I hope I have inspired you to make this this traditional sweet if you haven't attempted it yet. It just has 3 main ingredients and takes only 30 minutes of your time. Trust me you will love it.

Happy Deepavali. Wishing You Love & Light 💖💥

Halloween Special: Pumpkin Flan

You know I was going to title this post 'Fall or Autumn Special' but then I changed it because that term does not reflect the reality of those of us living in the tropics. Regrettably, we miss out on this beautiful transition of seasons. For us equatorial folks, the swathes of green foliage don't fade away into dazzling amber, maroon, gold and bronze hues. Green remains green and the weather remains hot and humid all year round. That being said, this season does see different varieties of pumpkin, squash and gourds flooding the markets (mostly imported 😄) and Halloween vibes kick in which help to liven things up a bit. 

This October, I'm bringing you a Halloween Special pumpkin dessert. Truth be told, I don't cook all that much with pumpkin or butternut squash so this is a recipe I am rather excited about. While on the subject of Halloween, the twins have had their costumes ready for over a month but with the current social restrictions, we don't know if there will be any scope for trick or treating 😕 We are keeping our fingers crossed! 

I'm assuming most people are familiar with flan. In case you aren't, flan is a dessert that is creamy in texture and has two distinct layers - a clear caramel layer and a custard layer. The basic ingredients in a flan recipe are eggs, milk, and sugar. This dessert is usually baked in a ramekin or circular pan that is placed in a water bath in the oven until set. When it is time to serve, the serving plate is placed face down on the ramekin, and then the ramekin is flipped upside down for the flan to slide on the serving plate with a runny amber caramel pooling all around it. This dessert is sometimes called Crème Caramel (a recipe that I have previously posted on the blog and is quite popular). You can have have so many varieties with this flan - cheese, coconut, rum, coffee, vanilla, chocolate, Dulce de Leche etc.

This flan is different because of the addition of pumpkin. I was browsing Instagram recently and my eyes were instantly drawn to this recipe that had been posted by feedfeed. It looked so good and I was surprised to see how simple the recipe was. The most tricky part in this recipe is making the caramel but once you do that, there is no other cooking involved. You chuck the rest of the ingredients in a blender, blend for a few seconds and add the mixture to the caramel coated ramekins and let the oven do its job. I made a mental note to try it out ASAP. Unfortunately, canned pumpkin purée is not something we get here readily so I had to make my own at home. Using the canned variety saves you about half an hour so if you get it then good for you.

My children LOVED this Pumpkin Flan. They ate it three days in a row until there were no more left. My husband and domestic helper gave their seal of approval too. I loved the smooth creamy texture, the perfume of the spices, the degree of sweetness that was just right and the fact that you could appreciate the subtle flavor of the pumpkin. This recipe is definitely here to stay.

I really hope you try this recipe. Refer to the notes below for tips and substitutions. 

This year I also made Pumpkin Spiced Chocolate Chip Bread for some friends. This is a recipe I've posted previously on the blog and it is a pretty good one. If you happen to have excess of pumpkin or squash, you can try it as well 😁

My kids LOVE Halloween. They have been dressing up and going trick or treating with their friends since they were three years old. And truth be told, I absolutely love dressing them up. So far we have covered all the easy costumes - witch, pirate, angel, princess, superhero, my little pony and mermaid. Methinks we need to start getting more creative in the coming years 😄

Happy Halloween in advance 👻

Play Areas, Butterfly Garden, Dog Run and more at Bukit Gombak Park, Singapore

New park alert!

I was so happy when I heard that Bukit Gombak park had opened to visitors. The area is not far from where we live and before the pandemic, we would frequent Home Team NS T-play which is in the same neighbourhood. Another nature park in the vicinity adds to the list of weekend outdoor activities to keep the kids occupied which is always a good thing. What's even better is that Whisk & Paddle has opened an outlet that sits right at the entrance of the park so I foresee yummy waffles & desserts in our near future 😊

Bukit Gombak Park is located along Bukit Batok West Avenue 5, opposite Bukit Batok Driving Centre. It is a 10-15 min walk from the Bukit Gombak MRT station. The main entrance is situated along Bukit Batok West Avenue 5. There are two approaches to the park – one from the HDB blocks at around block 394 and another from the Pavilion Park private estate which allow residents in the area easy access to the park.

The 4.8-hectare park is located on a hill and is part of a nature corridor connecting the Central Nature Park Network and the Tengah Forest Corridor in western Singapore. The park was created to provide surrounding residents with greater accessibility to green spaces and recreational facilities for families. 

With more than 1,500 trees, flowering plants, an inclined 400m-looped hill trek, butterfly garden, dog run, two areas with allotment gardens and elevated plots, a fitness area and two play areas for children, there is something for everybody.

It was a super bright Saturday and the sun was beating down on us relentlessly. The twins and I went up the inclined 400m-looped hill trek which included a flight of 108 steps, providing a panoramic view of the surrounding forest and greenery.

Durian Delights from The Durian Bakery Singapore!

Product Review

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Calling all Durian lovers in Singapore! 

Love it or hate it, durians are pretty hard to ignore aren't they? The King of Fruits typically floods the markets of Singapore between June and September and this would be the best time to enjoy the fruit and all the goodies made with it. But if you haven't yet then don't fret....you still aren't too late.

From initially being skeptical of the fruit to developing a liking and profound respect for it, my relationship with durian has evolved over the years. I have many friends who are durian obsessed but on the other hand, I have a some who either cannot stomach it or are petrified to try. I believe that sampling durian should be on everyone's bucket list. This misunderstood fruit has a lot to offer and definitely deserves more than one chance. 

To save you the trouble of deliberating where to go to get your durian fix this year, Best In Singapore carefully curated a list and one among their recommendations is The Durian Bakery. This is an expert bakery that specializes in baking delicious, rich durian goods. The kind folks at The Durian Bakery sent me some of their products to sample and review. I received the goodies last week, stuffed my face with them, shared them with family and friends and am bringing the detailed review to you today. 

Their website is very easy to navigate. There are some amazing durian-based cakes and patisseries to choose from. 

I scheduled the delivery on a weekend afternoon. I received my order within the allotted time slot. I liked the simple yet elegant box that it came in and how well everything was packed. 

Signature Pastries Taster Bundle

This bundle consisted of,

1x box of 12 D24 Durian Choux Puff

1x box of 6 D24 Snowy Mochi

1x pcs of Dark Choco MSW Mousse

The Durian Choux Puffs looked appetizing. They were light airy choux puff pastries generously filled with a luscious and decadent durian filling made using the thick and creamy D24. Both the pastry and the filling were top notch in terms of taste and texture. 

I love mochi and so I was eager to try these. The soft and squidgy Snowy Mochis had a delicate outer covering and a soft core again, generously filled with the goodness of the luscious D24. Yummy! 

The Dark Choco Musang King Mousse was the one that piqued my interest the most. It consisted of a delicate dome of dark chocolate dusted with gold encasing a fresh and silky musang king durian mousse and a durian core sitting on a base of hazelnut palette feuilletine. 

The natural bittersweet notes of the durian complemented the rich dark chocolate and the crunchy base nicely contrasted the texture of the smooth filling. Look at the cross-section and you can appreciate all the individual components.