With all this wonderful warm weather, I've been taking advantage of it and getting my flower beds cleaned out. The old owners had white rock/pebbles for a multch type thing and I prefer dark wood multch much better. So I have been gradually digging out the white pebbles and putting top soil and multch down. The ground is so hard it needs something extra in it. I have one bed left. I also made a little bed around the lamp post by the driveway. We also have a rock at the gate that I have a little wooden dog holding a welcome sign sitting on. The rock was starting to sink into the group so I put dirt under it and multch. Looks much better. I will have to take pictures on my phone and put them on here.
Ah, yes I got a new phone! A Blackberry pearl. So now I can get online anywhere and keep up with facebook, e-mail, texting, etc... it's wonderful! I also have a decent camera on it and I can upload the pictures from my phone to flickr and facebook! I also have free nights and weekends again so for those of you who have my phone number you can call and I won't got over minutes anymore! lol
Last weekend I got to see my best friend Sarah and her family, plus another mutal friend of ours, Kristina! We drove down to Kentucky to celebrate Kristina's marriage to Daniel at a wedding reception. Sarah and her family drove up from TN also! It was great to see them before our vacation to NC together next month! It's getting close, I am really excited!!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Fusia at Luxor closed
April 30
Two e-mails about restaurants closing in one day. What a drag. And unusual. Restaurants love to tell you when they’re opening, but they usually close quietly.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2009
Listing Information
Name: Luxor
Address: 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Phone: (702) 262-4000
Toll Free: (800) 557-7428
Website Address: www.luxor.com <http://www.luxor.com/>
FUSIA AT LUXOR CLOSED
Effective Immediately
Fusia at Luxor is permanently closed. Future plans for the space will be released at a later date. Please remove Fusia from all listings.
Two e-mails about restaurants closing in one day. What a drag. And unusual. Restaurants love to tell you when they’re opening, but they usually close quietly.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2009
Listing Information
Name: Luxor
Address: 3900 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Phone: (702) 262-4000
Toll Free: (800) 557-7428
Website Address: www.luxor.com <http://www.luxor.com/>
FUSIA AT LUXOR CLOSED
Effective Immediately
Fusia at Luxor is permanently closed. Future plans for the space will be released at a later date. Please remove Fusia from all listings.
received call - 1st love
29th april 2009
i've got a phone call. 2:48am. x silap, time tuh baru je few hours terlena. huu.
its KT [kenangan terindah]. my 1st love. wawawawa~~~ then. lucky him,
sy x silent hp mlm itu. huhu. at 1st, die call hp lg 1, but since hp tuh mmg da rosak.
and just vibrate, 4 sure la sy x dgr pape. then die call hp lg 1, baru sy angkt.
angkt. and terus dr baring, sy ddk atas katil. x mamai2 da. haha. LOL.
well. mcm biase, tanye khabar and etc. eheh. die baru abis exam. and da start cuti.
that's y skrng baru berkesempatan nak tanye kabar sy. agak lame kami mendiamkan diri.
sy sempat perli. "nape x tnggu 1 may?" and die blur2. die tanye nape dgn 1 may?
sy ckp "genap la 2 bulan x contact." wahaha. die ckp...mane ade. kan baru je contact.
time akid msk hosp hari tu? sy ckp... that was almost 2 months ago - 1 mac 2009
haha. and die mcm... "owh eh?" and we laughed. haha. he explained everything.
his bz schedule, exam, assignment etc. eheh. awk. kte taw awk bz. taw da. haha
owh. he's da only guy, yg sy gune kte-awk. yup. thats 4 sure. dr dlu sampai skrng.
and sy pernah nak panggil die dgn nickname yg kwn2 die panggil. tp die x kasi.
die ckp, pelik! haha. all rite. then. we talked, talked and talked. and suddenly...
he asked. "nape dgn blog? x leh nak bace nih?" huhu. and i was like. owh. private.
"adela. bnyk sbb private. mcm2 jd." and die tanye. "ape jd? tataw pape pon?" owh.
"its ok. kte taw awk bz. huhu." but then. i told him everything. since. u know.
i just can hide nothing from him. LOL. and die marah...haha. die geram. whee~~~
sy happy n gelak dgr kegeraman die. haha. die jgk perli sy sbb x bgtaw die sume nih.
wawawa. bkn la awk!!! kte taw awk bz. seriously. lgpon. tah. mls nak kaco awk.
but skrng kan awk da taw sume kan? eheh. x de la sume. kte pon cite basic2 je.
and ade 1 part tuh... sy ckp...
"awk. mama ngan kambink [TTM] kan. pun pelik n tanye kte. awk x contact kte ke?
sbb slalunye awk akan at least tanye kabar kte ble awk taw kte x ok.
slalunye awk taw sume tu pon ble awk bace blog kte. tp. awk diam je...
[fyi, 1st love nih ske bace blog sy senyap2. hee. dr sini la sy taw die jage sy]
die org pun pelik. kte pon entah. ckp tahlaaa. awk bz kot. then mama.
leh ckp dkt kte. qila, da lah tuhh...die da btol2 lupekan awk la tuh.
waaaaaaaaaaa... terdiam kte taw x?"
and die ckp... sambil gelak
"mane de lupe. just bz je..."
and i was like. okay. haha. and as usual, he asked me bout TTM. hurmmm...
die agak terkejut dgn few of perubahan TTM nih dr segi mase and layanan dkt sy.
die kate baguslah, since TTM da makin berubah, in a better way.
and die nak g umrah by d n of may. owhhh. bestnyer. wawawa...
awk awk awk!!! tlg doakan utk kte blh? tlg doakan kte berjaye n bahgie dunia akhirat.
n jmpe jodoh yg baikkk n blh bimbing n bahgiekan kte dunia akhirat jgk.
tlg eh awk? jgn lupe taw!!!
huuu. and owhhh. sy ade jgk ckp dkt die. "kambink ade ckp nak jmpe awk..
.tp kte pon cam tataw la ble. and kte pon ckp x yahla. nak buat ape? wawawaa"
and dgn lajunye die ckp "kte nak jmpe die" hukkkk. terkejut jap.
sy ckp, "nak buat ape? xyahla." and die ckp. "saje. x blh?" huhu.
n TTM plak ckp... "sy nak jmpe jgk org yg pernah jage awk"
owh la la. sy yg cuak kalau mereka ni benar2 jd jmpe nnt. huu. serius cuak.
haha. x pelah. biarlah mereka borak2. sy gi main sorang2 jauh2. okay? =P
hurm. bnyk jgk yg d borakkan. dr 2:48am tuh til 3:53am. hee. itu pun stop.
sbb hp die bttry low n charger die pendek n die mls nak charge sbb nak baring. LOL.
okay. sy pon time tuh duk pk, ade yg x ckup tdow kang. haha. letak.
but then. pas kul 4am tuh, x leh tdow plak. grrr~~~ owh owh owh.
tp sy happy. sbb die call. thanks awk sbb call kte!!! 2nd day awk cuti~ eheh.
and mmg sy bgtaw TTM, die call. biar TTM taw ade org still care ttg sy. haha.
sgt x matang sy d sini. hua3... ape pon. erm. sy happy. yer sy happy die call.
n awk, thanks sbb slalu ambil berat ttg kte. eh. x dela slalu. tp kte taw.
awk mmg jage kte lg. diam2. kan? hee. thanks thanks thanks.
u know u're the sweetest guy ever rite? eheh. and owh. mama n abah.
ble kte sampaikan salam awk. sebok laaa duk tanye ble awk call pe sume.
haha. i know they miss u. awk pon taw mama plg syg awk kan? eheh.
erm. ape pon. again. from the bottom of my heart, thank u. =]
i've got a phone call. 2:48am. x silap, time tuh baru je few hours terlena. huu.
its KT [kenangan terindah]. my 1st love. wawawawa~~~ then. lucky him,
sy x silent hp mlm itu. huhu. at 1st, die call hp lg 1, but since hp tuh mmg da rosak.
and just vibrate, 4 sure la sy x dgr pape. then die call hp lg 1, baru sy angkt.
angkt. and terus dr baring, sy ddk atas katil. x mamai2 da. haha. LOL.
well. mcm biase, tanye khabar and etc. eheh. die baru abis exam. and da start cuti.
that's y skrng baru berkesempatan nak tanye kabar sy. agak lame kami mendiamkan diri.
sy sempat perli. "nape x tnggu 1 may?" and die blur2. die tanye nape dgn 1 may?
sy ckp "genap la 2 bulan x contact." wahaha. die ckp...mane ade. kan baru je contact.
time akid msk hosp hari tu? sy ckp... that was almost 2 months ago - 1 mac 2009
haha. and die mcm... "owh eh?" and we laughed. haha. he explained everything.
his bz schedule, exam, assignment etc. eheh. awk. kte taw awk bz. taw da. haha
owh. he's da only guy, yg sy gune kte-awk. yup. thats 4 sure. dr dlu sampai skrng.
and sy pernah nak panggil die dgn nickname yg kwn2 die panggil. tp die x kasi.
die ckp, pelik! haha. all rite. then. we talked, talked and talked. and suddenly...
he asked. "nape dgn blog? x leh nak bace nih?" huhu. and i was like. owh. private.
"adela. bnyk sbb private. mcm2 jd." and die tanye. "ape jd? tataw pape pon?" owh.
"its ok. kte taw awk bz. huhu." but then. i told him everything. since. u know.
i just can hide nothing from him. LOL. and die marah...haha. die geram. whee~~~
sy happy n gelak dgr kegeraman die. haha. die jgk perli sy sbb x bgtaw die sume nih.
wawawa. bkn la awk!!! kte taw awk bz. seriously. lgpon. tah. mls nak kaco awk.
but skrng kan awk da taw sume kan? eheh. x de la sume. kte pon cite basic2 je.
and ade 1 part tuh... sy ckp...
"awk. mama ngan kambink [TTM] kan. pun pelik n tanye kte. awk x contact kte ke?
sbb slalunye awk akan at least tanye kabar kte ble awk taw kte x ok.
slalunye awk taw sume tu pon ble awk bace blog kte. tp. awk diam je...
[fyi, 1st love nih ske bace blog sy senyap2. hee. dr sini la sy taw die jage sy]
die org pun pelik. kte pon entah. ckp tahlaaa. awk bz kot. then mama.
leh ckp dkt kte. qila, da lah tuhh...die da btol2 lupekan awk la tuh.
waaaaaaaaaaa... terdiam kte taw x?"
and die ckp... sambil gelak
"mane de lupe. just bz je..."
and i was like. okay. haha. and as usual, he asked me bout TTM. hurmmm...
die agak terkejut dgn few of perubahan TTM nih dr segi mase and layanan dkt sy.
die kate baguslah, since TTM da makin berubah, in a better way.
and die nak g umrah by d n of may. owhhh. bestnyer. wawawa...
awk awk awk!!! tlg doakan utk kte blh? tlg doakan kte berjaye n bahgie dunia akhirat.
n jmpe jodoh yg baikkk n blh bimbing n bahgiekan kte dunia akhirat jgk.
tlg eh awk? jgn lupe taw!!!
huuu. and owhhh. sy ade jgk ckp dkt die. "kambink ade ckp nak jmpe awk..
.tp kte pon cam tataw la ble. and kte pon ckp x yahla. nak buat ape? wawawaa"
and dgn lajunye die ckp "kte nak jmpe die" hukkkk. terkejut jap.
sy ckp, "nak buat ape? xyahla." and die ckp. "saje. x blh?" huhu.
n TTM plak ckp... "sy nak jmpe jgk org yg pernah jage awk"
owh la la. sy yg cuak kalau mereka ni benar2 jd jmpe nnt. huu. serius cuak.
haha. x pelah. biarlah mereka borak2. sy gi main sorang2 jauh2. okay? =P
hurm. bnyk jgk yg d borakkan. dr 2:48am tuh til 3:53am. hee. itu pun stop.
sbb hp die bttry low n charger die pendek n die mls nak charge sbb nak baring. LOL.
okay. sy pon time tuh duk pk, ade yg x ckup tdow kang. haha. letak.
but then. pas kul 4am tuh, x leh tdow plak. grrr~~~ owh owh owh.
tp sy happy. sbb die call. thanks awk sbb call kte!!! 2nd day awk cuti~ eheh.
and mmg sy bgtaw TTM, die call. biar TTM taw ade org still care ttg sy. haha.
sgt x matang sy d sini. hua3... ape pon. erm. sy happy. yer sy happy die call.
n awk, thanks sbb slalu ambil berat ttg kte. eh. x dela slalu. tp kte taw.
awk mmg jage kte lg. diam2. kan? hee. thanks thanks thanks.
u know u're the sweetest guy ever rite? eheh. and owh. mama n abah.
ble kte sampaikan salam awk. sebok laaa duk tanye ble awk call pe sume.
haha. i know they miss u. awk pon taw mama plg syg awk kan? eheh.
erm. ape pon. again. from the bottom of my heart, thank u. =]
Atria closed
April 30
Damn it! I really liked this place:
To All Our Friends,
Thank you for all your support. We are all very proud of Atria. Unfortunately, Atria is no longer open. Please direct all questions to the following people:
Accounts Payable: Main Street Restaurant Group 212.223.6432
All Other: Adam Landsman adamslandsman@gmail.com
Kind Regards,
All of us from Atria
It was in the space that once was Aquavit, and then became Grayz, and for a short while was Atria, serving delicious sausages and assorted Asian-inflected central European fare by chef Martin Brock. Good cocktails, too.
Damn it! I really liked this place:
To All Our Friends,
Thank you for all your support. We are all very proud of Atria. Unfortunately, Atria is no longer open. Please direct all questions to the following people:
Accounts Payable: Main Street Restaurant Group 212.223.6432
All Other: Adam Landsman adamslandsman@gmail.com
Kind Regards,
All of us from Atria
It was in the space that once was Aquavit, and then became Grayz, and for a short while was Atria, serving delicious sausages and assorted Asian-inflected central European fare by chef Martin Brock. Good cocktails, too.
fast furious 4 & bohsia
last monday, 27th april 2009. i went to klcc with TTM. we watched fast n furious 4 & bohsia.
sy taw cite fast n furious 4 tuh mmg sgt la lame da. basi da. tp. at least sy puas dpt tgk.
mmg da agak lame since da last time sy kuar tgk movie. yup. agak lame.
fast & furious 4sy ske action movie. so obviously sy ske cite ni jgk. 4 sure.
ni kan salah 1 cite yg sy tnggu sgt this year.
selain trans4mers n transporters n ice age. hoho...
jalan cite die cam biase. but. kereta2 die mmg gempak...
oh. sy sgt focus menonton cite tuh. sy nak sgt3 drive laju2 mcm tuh. even sy nih...bkn pon.
driver yg baek. hua3... sound effects, not bad. camera angle pon berbeza2. so. good.
visual effects time die imagine mcm mane letty, gf die meninggal pon sy ske.
so far, sy puas hati. huuu~~~
bohsiafilem ke2 super senior sy dr MIIM.
sy sgt serious sepanjang sy tgk cite nih...hurm. ia,agak membimbangkan sy.
i mean. sy taw skrng nih mmg bnyk remaja mcm nih.
i know it based on the real phenomenon now days.
bertapa bhsa yg digunakan. adalah bhsa yg sgt jrg sy guna. n try utk x guna.
sy mungkin akan TERguna time2 sy da terlalu marah.
sdngkan ayat2 itu die org gune mcm ayat2 biase. and...
tunjukkan bertapa teruknye teenagers nowdays. haih~ ni salah 1 lg cite
yg buat sy bersyukur dgn life sy skrng, dgn fmly n kwn2 d sekeliling sy.
and semuanya...bermula dr fmly. betol x? basicnya fmly.
if fmly itu ok. insya allah seluruh keturunan akan kebal dr anasir lain yg x sehat.
hurm...so far ok. mmg lakonan real. n lawak2 bangang die pon, mmg lawak2 bohsia & rempit.
mmg menunjukkan dgn jelas perlakuan n kehidupan mereka...
1 of good malay movie. huuu~~~
jgn pilih jalan hitam. thats 4 sure...
haih~ may ALLAH blessed us.
Chicken Katsu
28 April 2009, selasaHusband minta dibikinin chicken katsu hari ini..gampang praktis n enak. Caranya gampang banget, boleh nyoba deh, psti ketagihan.
Bahan
2 lembar paha ayam
garam lada secukupnya
bahan pelapis
Tepung trigu->telur->tepung panir
Cara
1. Pukul pukul daging ayam hingga lemas, lalu taburkan garam lada secukupnya, biarkan bumbu meresap, diamkan kira2 3 jam.
2. Celupkan di bahan pelapis, diamkan di kulkas kira2 1 jam
3. Goreng hingga kecoklatan
4. Potong potong sesuai selera
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
birthday abah
i'm running out of time. thats 4 sure. 2 little time. 2 many things to settle down. hurm...
owh yar. currently, my blog = private. there's only a limited no of 35-45 ppl reading this right now. feel better, safer, warmer. haha. dunno. getting close to u guys n myself as well.
and these few days, i'm not ok. yes, seriously i'm not. but still. i can keep it 2 myself.
but lately, haih~ my bad habit da dtg blk... nangis3. whuuuu~~~ ok. full stop.
it's 12:36pm. and my class will start at 4:30pm 2day, until i dunno...10pm maybe? aiyooo.
thursday - laziest, tiring day of da week. wawawa... i love holiday! errr...50-50. ok. crap!
abah birthday - 29th april 2009
nothing much happened. actually. mama nak buat surprise utk abah. abah pun nak buat surprise utk mama. elok la tuh. cuz in d end, due2 x dpt buat surprise. LOL! haha. semuanya drama semata - mata. mama dah plan dgn anak buah abah d srwk, Jamal, utk buat surprise. bday abah, should b abah dkt srwk. x dpt blk kl. so mama dah pesan dkt Jamal, tlg beli cake n buat jamuan kecil. but then, few days ago, last sunday, Jamal bgtaw mama, abah akan ke kl from 28th april - 30th april. ade meeting on 29th april. but abah, x inform lngsg dkt kte org. kononnye nak buat surprise la tuh blk kl. tp abah tataw, kami da taw awal2 sbb Jamal da in4m. haha. so, at 1st flight abah, abah akan sampai KLIA about 11pm 28th april. and by that time, abah akan sampai rumah dlm tepat 12am 29th april. so kte org ingt nak la die sampai2, konon2 nak buat surprise, kte org yg akan siapkan cake gelap2 dlm rumah. biar abah cuak tgk x de org... mcm tu la plan asalnye.
but then. Jamal in4m lg. flight abah 4:05pm dr kuching. so sampai kl, almost 6pm. then gerak dr klia ape sume lg, should be sampai setiawngsa nih dlm 7pm... so. by 7pm, mama x sampai rumah lg. mama slalu sampai dlm 7:30pm since traffic jam, etc. so, abah n mama same2 la x leh buat surprise. abah sbb kte org da taw plan die nak dtg, tp kte org pura2 tataw. mama plak, x dpt nak buat surprise utk abah sbb abah sampai time die x sampai umah lg. begitulah perangkaan masa yg dibuat oleh sy n mama. but then. mmg lain jdnya. hee... mama sampai rumah dlm 7:30pm 28 april, both of us da muka masam sbb abah x sampai2. and maybe, abah x jd dtg kot...
but then. dgr bunyi enjin kereta dr luar rumah. tgk. x de. taxi kot? pastu hp mama berbunyi. abah call tanye kat mane... mama ckp la dkt umah la. then. sy pon intai2 dr sliding door. tgk ade beg2 abah. terus sy lari msk bilik mama, n ckp. mama! mama! abah ade dkt luar la tuh! ade beg dkt luar tuh! terus sy kuar rumah. cari abah yg nyorok. skali cakkkk. abah muncul! dgn 3 kuntum bunga ros utk mama! hahahahahaha... sy terus peluk abah. owh3... penat tnggu. lgpon kene la buat2 tataw abah nak buat surprise. seriously, muka abah sgt excited sbb dpt buat surprise dkt kte org. even...sampai skrng abah tataw mama n sy, da taw die akan pulang ke kl. kami buat2 la terkejut. sbb tammo die frust. hee. abah da dlm flight blk ke srwk pon skrg nih. =P
nothing much. we had dinner 2gether. then went to carre4 wngsa maju, mama belikan new nokia phone utk abah as a present. and, time kuar mlm tuh, abah da pakai hadiah sy. sy kasi tshirt golf adidas. which cost, almost 1/3 of my pocket money for MAY. grrr...may pon baru nak start esok. sy sedang mengalami krisis ekonomi yg ketara. wawawa~~~ 1 of my biggest prob rite now. eheh. tu je abah pnye bday. and sharp 12am 29th april, mama n sy kasi bday card. and nyanyi2 dpn abah. haha. nothing much kan? but. spend mase bersame itu da sgt bererti more than anything else.
Happy Birthday Joanie!
How time flies and I am writing another blog about my birthday. It was a hard year for me being thirty even though I know it’s a milestone. It took a while before I understood that I am no longer twenty something. Up to these days I still can’t believe that I am already 31.
My being thirty is very eventful. Last year I really had a happy birthday. It was the year that I look forward on a lot of positive things in my life. A lot of positive things did happen. It amazed me and blew off my mind. How I wish I could only cite the good ones. But life is not just about sunny day, it’s also about how big storms will come along and sometimes you are not prepared.
I grieved as the two important people in my life passed away. They are the people who helped me mold who I am today. My Lolo Apo and Lola Nay. They are the people who anticipated the events that are bound to happen in my life. Now they will never witness them anymore. Up to now I still grieve. People grieve not just because a person dies but when something also dies. I’ve been thru a lot of hurting and pains. No one will understand exactly how I feel unless they are once in my shoes.
I realized the more you are being hurt the braver you get. You put courage in your heart and become your weapon. After the storm you will see the sun shines slowly and see the rainbow coming out. It signifies that life is more colorful after tragedies. You begin to hope for good things and start dreaming again.
It was on my being 30 that I became part of Saatchi & Saatchi as a Senior Art Director. Then I left my old condo and moved in to a bigger one. I also won the Jamie Oliver video competition that now opens the door of opportunity going to London. Just recently I accepted a new job in Saigon. I will soon work in a local advertising agency in Vietnam as Head of Creative Group. A lot of doors opened and I see big opportunities. Since I will be working in Vietnam, I plan to pursue a lot of things there. I want to have my Artist Chef in Saigon and at the same time continue my passion for food styling, food installation art and food photography. I’d also love to pursue my graffiti art in every walls of Ho Chi Minh and continue to paint every canvass that I’ll have. They said that a real artist once get hurt, the emotion ignites. They become more expressive and every little thing they do is magic. I hope one day I’ll have my own restaurant and finally have my solo exhibit. Probably in Vietnam when things work out. There are so many things to look forward.
As I move forward being thirty something I know that there will be pains and joys, defeats and triumphs; but as long as I live I will thank GOD for every single breath that I am alive. Now, as I start my new journey, I want to find someone who can embrace my dreams, who can appreciate my flaws, who can accept that life is not perfect and so am I, one who will hold my hand in any battles and will never leave me in any storms. Now that I learned my lesson, I have to prepare and be excited what life brings. I have to live my life now according to my purpose and not according to what I want.
I am happy being 31, and as my new shirt's caption says:
"STILL, LIFE WITH BRACES!" :-D
My being thirty is very eventful. Last year I really had a happy birthday. It was the year that I look forward on a lot of positive things in my life. A lot of positive things did happen. It amazed me and blew off my mind. How I wish I could only cite the good ones. But life is not just about sunny day, it’s also about how big storms will come along and sometimes you are not prepared.
I grieved as the two important people in my life passed away. They are the people who helped me mold who I am today. My Lolo Apo and Lola Nay. They are the people who anticipated the events that are bound to happen in my life. Now they will never witness them anymore. Up to now I still grieve. People grieve not just because a person dies but when something also dies. I’ve been thru a lot of hurting and pains. No one will understand exactly how I feel unless they are once in my shoes.
I realized the more you are being hurt the braver you get. You put courage in your heart and become your weapon. After the storm you will see the sun shines slowly and see the rainbow coming out. It signifies that life is more colorful after tragedies. You begin to hope for good things and start dreaming again.
It was on my being 30 that I became part of Saatchi & Saatchi as a Senior Art Director. Then I left my old condo and moved in to a bigger one. I also won the Jamie Oliver video competition that now opens the door of opportunity going to London. Just recently I accepted a new job in Saigon. I will soon work in a local advertising agency in Vietnam as Head of Creative Group. A lot of doors opened and I see big opportunities. Since I will be working in Vietnam, I plan to pursue a lot of things there. I want to have my Artist Chef in Saigon and at the same time continue my passion for food styling, food installation art and food photography. I’d also love to pursue my graffiti art in every walls of Ho Chi Minh and continue to paint every canvass that I’ll have. They said that a real artist once get hurt, the emotion ignites. They become more expressive and every little thing they do is magic. I hope one day I’ll have my own restaurant and finally have my solo exhibit. Probably in Vietnam when things work out. There are so many things to look forward.
As I move forward being thirty something I know that there will be pains and joys, defeats and triumphs; but as long as I live I will thank GOD for every single breath that I am alive. Now, as I start my new journey, I want to find someone who can embrace my dreams, who can appreciate my flaws, who can accept that life is not perfect and so am I, one who will hold my hand in any battles and will never leave me in any storms. Now that I learned my lesson, I have to prepare and be excited what life brings. I have to live my life now according to my purpose and not according to what I want.
I am happy being 31, and as my new shirt's caption says:
"STILL, LIFE WITH BRACES!" :-D
hugs,
joanie xxx
Kanker Hati
MIlis tetangga lagi nih, semoga bermanfaat dah..
PENEMUAN TERBARU MENGENAI KANKER HATI
Penemuan terbaru mengenai kanker hati ! Jangan Tidur Terlalu Malam ! Para dokter di National Taiwan Hospital baru-baru ini mengejutkan dunia kedokteran karena ditemukannya kasus seorang dokter muda berusia 37 Tahun yang selama ini sangat mempercayai hasil pemeriksaan fungsi hati(SGOT, SGPT) ,tetapi ternyata saat menjelang Hari Raya Imlek diketahui positif menderita kanker hati sepanjang 10 cm!!.
Selama ini hampir semua orang sangat tergantung pada hasil indeks pemeriksaan fungsi hati ( Liver Function Index ). Mereka menganggap bila pemeriksaan hasil index yang normal berarti semua OK.
Kesalahpahaman macam ini ternyata juga dilakukan oleh banyak dokter specialis, benar benar mengejutkan, para dokter yang seharusnya memberikan pengetahuan yang benar pada masyarakat umum, ternyata memiliki pengetahuan yang tidak benar.
Pencegahan kanker hati harus dilakukan dengan cara yang benar. Tidak ada jalan lain kecuali mendeteksi dan mengobatinya sedini mungkin, demikian kata dokter Hsu Chin Chuan.
Tetapi ironisnya, ternyata dokter yang menangani kanker hati juga bias memiliki pandangan yang salah, bahkan menyesatkan masyarakat, inilah penyebab terbesar kenapa kanker hati sulit untuk disembuhkan.
Saat ini ada pasien dokter Hsu yang mengeluh bahwa selama satu bulan terakhir sering mengalami sakit perut dan berat badannya turun sangat banyak. Setelah dilakukan pemeriksaan supersound baru diketemukan adanya kanker hati yang sangat besar, hamper 80% dari livernya(hati) sudah termakan habis.
Pasien sangat terperanjat, ? Bagaimana mungkin ? Tahun lalu baru melakukan medical check-up dan hasilnya semua normal.Bagaimana mungkin hanya dalam waktu 1 tahun yang relative singkat dapat tumbuh kanker hati yang demikian besar??
Ternyata check-up yang dilakukan hanya memeriksa fungsi hati. Hasil pemeriksaan juga menunjukkan ? normal ?. Pemeriksaan fungsi hati adalah salah satu item pemeriksaan hati yang paling dikenal oleh masyarakat. Tetapi item ini pula yang paling banyak disalahpahami oleh masyarakat kita.
Pada umumnya orang beranggapan bahwa bila hasil index pemeriksaan fungsi hati menunjukkan angka normal berarti tidak ada masalah dengan hati.
Tetapi pandangan ini mengakibatkan munculnya kisah-kisah sedih karena hilangnya kesempatan mendeteksi kanker sejak stadium awal.
Dokter Hsu mengatakan, SGOT dan SGPT adalah enzim yang paling banyak ditemui didalam sel-sel hati. Bila terjadi radang hati atau karena satu atau sebab lain sehingga sel-sel hati mati, maka SGOT dan SGPT akan lari ke luar. Hal ini menyebabkan kandungan SGOT dan SGPT didalam darah meningkat.
Tetapi tidak adanya peningkatan angka SGOT dan SGPT bukan berarti tidak terjadi pengerasan hati atau tidak adanya kanker hati. Bagi banyak para penderita radang hati , meski kondisi radang hati mereka telah berhenti, tetapi didalam hati(liver) mereka telah terbentuk serat-serat dan pengerasan hati. Dengan terbentuknya pengerasan hati, maka akan mudah sekali untuk timbul kanker hati.
Selain itu, pada stadium awal kanker hati, index hati juga tidak akan mengalami kenaikan. Karena pada masa-masa pertumbuhan kanker, hanya sel-sel di sekitarnya yang diserang sehingga rusak dan mati.
Karena kerusakan ini hanya secara skala kecil maka angka SGOT dan SGPT mungkin masih dalam batas normal, katakanlah naik pun tidak akan terjadi kenaikan tinggi.. Tetapi oleh karena banyak orang yang tidak mengerti akan hal ini sehingga berakibat terjadilah banyak kisah sedih.
Penyebab utama kerusakan hati adalah :
1. Tidur terlalu malam dan bangun terlalu siang adalah penyebab paling utama.
2. Tidak buang pada pagi hari.
3. Pola makan yang terlalu berlebihan
4. Tidak makan pagi.
5. Terlalu banyak mengkonsumsi obat-obatan.
6. Terlalu banyak mengkonsumsi bahan pengawet,zat tambahan, zat pewarna, pemanis buatan .
7. Minyak goreng yang tidak sehat. Sedapat mungkin kurangi penggunaan minyak goring saat menggoreng makanan, hal ini juga berlaku meski menggunakan minyak goreng terbaik sekalipun seperti olive oil.
8. Mengkonsumsi masakan mentah atau dimasak matang 3-5 bagian. Masakan yang digoreng harus dimakan habis saat itu juga, jangan disimpan.
Kita harus melakukan pencegahan dengan tanpa mengeluarkan biaya tambahan. Cukup atur gaya hidup dan pola makan sehari hari. Perawatan dari pola makan dan kondisi waktu sangat diperlukan agar tubuh kita dapat melakukan penyerapan dan pembuangan zat-zat yang tidak berguna sesuai dengan jadwalnya .
Sebab :
� Malam hari pk 21.00 ? 23.00 : adalah pembuangan zat-zat tidak berguna/beracun(de-toxin) dibagian system antibody (kelenjar getah bening). Selama durasi waktu ini seharusnya dilalui dengan suasana tenang atau mendengarkan musik . Bila saat itu seorang ibu rumah tangga masih dalam kondisi yang tidak santai seperti misalnya mencuci piring atau mengawasi anak belajar, hal ini dapat berdampak negative untuk kesehatan.
� Malam hari pk 23.00 ? dini hari 01.00 : saat proses de-toxin dibagian hati, harus berlangsung dalam kondisi tidur pulas.
� Dini hari 01.00 - 03...00 proses de-toxin dibagian empedu, juga berlangsung dalam kondisi tidur pulas.
� Dini hari 03.00 ? 05.00 : de-toxin dibagian paru-paru, sebab itu akan terjadi batuk yang hebat bagi penderita batuk selam durasi waktu ini.
Karena proses pembersihan (de-toxin) telah mencapai saluran pernapasan, maka tidak perlu minum obat batuk agar supaya tidak merintangi proses pembuangan kotoran.
� Pagi pk 05.00 ? 07...00 de-toxin di bagian usus besar, harus buang air besar.
� Pagi pk 07.00 ? 09...00 waktu penyerapan gizi makanan bagi usus kecil, harus makan pagi . Bagi orang yang sakit sebaiknya makan lebih pagi yaitu sebelum pk 06.30. Makan pagi sebelum pk 07.30 sangat baik bagi mereka yang ingin menjaga kesehatannya. Bagi mereka yang tidak makan pagi harap mengubah kebiasaannya ini, bahkan masih lebih baik terlambat makan pagi hingga pk 9-10 daripada tidak makan sama sekali..
Tidur terlalu malam dan bangun terlalu siang akan mengacaukan proses pembuangan zat-zat yang tidak berguna. Selain itu, dari tengah malam hingga pukul 4 dini hari adalah waktu bagi sumsum tulang belakang untuk memproduksi darah. Sebab itulah, Tidurlah Nyenyak dan Jangan Begadang.
Ayoooo sapa yang suka bergadang n telat bangun pagiiii??
PENEMUAN TERBARU MENGENAI KANKER HATI
Penemuan terbaru mengenai kanker hati ! Jangan Tidur Terlalu Malam ! Para dokter di National Taiwan Hospital baru-baru ini mengejutkan dunia kedokteran karena ditemukannya kasus seorang dokter muda berusia 37 Tahun yang selama ini sangat mempercayai hasil pemeriksaan fungsi hati(SGOT, SGPT) ,tetapi ternyata saat menjelang Hari Raya Imlek diketahui positif menderita kanker hati sepanjang 10 cm!!.
Selama ini hampir semua orang sangat tergantung pada hasil indeks pemeriksaan fungsi hati ( Liver Function Index ). Mereka menganggap bila pemeriksaan hasil index yang normal berarti semua OK.
Kesalahpahaman macam ini ternyata juga dilakukan oleh banyak dokter specialis, benar benar mengejutkan, para dokter yang seharusnya memberikan pengetahuan yang benar pada masyarakat umum, ternyata memiliki pengetahuan yang tidak benar.
Pencegahan kanker hati harus dilakukan dengan cara yang benar. Tidak ada jalan lain kecuali mendeteksi dan mengobatinya sedini mungkin, demikian kata dokter Hsu Chin Chuan.
Tetapi ironisnya, ternyata dokter yang menangani kanker hati juga bias memiliki pandangan yang salah, bahkan menyesatkan masyarakat, inilah penyebab terbesar kenapa kanker hati sulit untuk disembuhkan.
Saat ini ada pasien dokter Hsu yang mengeluh bahwa selama satu bulan terakhir sering mengalami sakit perut dan berat badannya turun sangat banyak. Setelah dilakukan pemeriksaan supersound baru diketemukan adanya kanker hati yang sangat besar, hamper 80% dari livernya(hati) sudah termakan habis.
Pasien sangat terperanjat, ? Bagaimana mungkin ? Tahun lalu baru melakukan medical check-up dan hasilnya semua normal.Bagaimana mungkin hanya dalam waktu 1 tahun yang relative singkat dapat tumbuh kanker hati yang demikian besar??
Ternyata check-up yang dilakukan hanya memeriksa fungsi hati. Hasil pemeriksaan juga menunjukkan ? normal ?. Pemeriksaan fungsi hati adalah salah satu item pemeriksaan hati yang paling dikenal oleh masyarakat. Tetapi item ini pula yang paling banyak disalahpahami oleh masyarakat kita.
Pada umumnya orang beranggapan bahwa bila hasil index pemeriksaan fungsi hati menunjukkan angka normal berarti tidak ada masalah dengan hati.
Tetapi pandangan ini mengakibatkan munculnya kisah-kisah sedih karena hilangnya kesempatan mendeteksi kanker sejak stadium awal.
Dokter Hsu mengatakan, SGOT dan SGPT adalah enzim yang paling banyak ditemui didalam sel-sel hati. Bila terjadi radang hati atau karena satu atau sebab lain sehingga sel-sel hati mati, maka SGOT dan SGPT akan lari ke luar. Hal ini menyebabkan kandungan SGOT dan SGPT didalam darah meningkat.
Tetapi tidak adanya peningkatan angka SGOT dan SGPT bukan berarti tidak terjadi pengerasan hati atau tidak adanya kanker hati. Bagi banyak para penderita radang hati , meski kondisi radang hati mereka telah berhenti, tetapi didalam hati(liver) mereka telah terbentuk serat-serat dan pengerasan hati. Dengan terbentuknya pengerasan hati, maka akan mudah sekali untuk timbul kanker hati.
Selain itu, pada stadium awal kanker hati, index hati juga tidak akan mengalami kenaikan. Karena pada masa-masa pertumbuhan kanker, hanya sel-sel di sekitarnya yang diserang sehingga rusak dan mati.
Karena kerusakan ini hanya secara skala kecil maka angka SGOT dan SGPT mungkin masih dalam batas normal, katakanlah naik pun tidak akan terjadi kenaikan tinggi.. Tetapi oleh karena banyak orang yang tidak mengerti akan hal ini sehingga berakibat terjadilah banyak kisah sedih.
Penyebab utama kerusakan hati adalah :
1. Tidur terlalu malam dan bangun terlalu siang adalah penyebab paling utama.
2. Tidak buang pada pagi hari.
3. Pola makan yang terlalu berlebihan
4. Tidak makan pagi.
5. Terlalu banyak mengkonsumsi obat-obatan.
6. Terlalu banyak mengkonsumsi bahan pengawet,zat tambahan, zat pewarna, pemanis buatan .
7. Minyak goreng yang tidak sehat. Sedapat mungkin kurangi penggunaan minyak goring saat menggoreng makanan, hal ini juga berlaku meski menggunakan minyak goreng terbaik sekalipun seperti olive oil.
8. Mengkonsumsi masakan mentah atau dimasak matang 3-5 bagian. Masakan yang digoreng harus dimakan habis saat itu juga, jangan disimpan.
Kita harus melakukan pencegahan dengan tanpa mengeluarkan biaya tambahan. Cukup atur gaya hidup dan pola makan sehari hari. Perawatan dari pola makan dan kondisi waktu sangat diperlukan agar tubuh kita dapat melakukan penyerapan dan pembuangan zat-zat yang tidak berguna sesuai dengan jadwalnya .
Sebab :
� Malam hari pk 21.00 ? 23.00 : adalah pembuangan zat-zat tidak berguna/beracun(de-toxin) dibagian system antibody (kelenjar getah bening). Selama durasi waktu ini seharusnya dilalui dengan suasana tenang atau mendengarkan musik . Bila saat itu seorang ibu rumah tangga masih dalam kondisi yang tidak santai seperti misalnya mencuci piring atau mengawasi anak belajar, hal ini dapat berdampak negative untuk kesehatan.
� Malam hari pk 23.00 ? dini hari 01.00 : saat proses de-toxin dibagian hati, harus berlangsung dalam kondisi tidur pulas.
� Dini hari 01.00 - 03...00 proses de-toxin dibagian empedu, juga berlangsung dalam kondisi tidur pulas.
� Dini hari 03.00 ? 05.00 : de-toxin dibagian paru-paru, sebab itu akan terjadi batuk yang hebat bagi penderita batuk selam durasi waktu ini.
Karena proses pembersihan (de-toxin) telah mencapai saluran pernapasan, maka tidak perlu minum obat batuk agar supaya tidak merintangi proses pembuangan kotoran.
� Pagi pk 05.00 ? 07...00 de-toxin di bagian usus besar, harus buang air besar.
� Pagi pk 07.00 ? 09...00 waktu penyerapan gizi makanan bagi usus kecil, harus makan pagi . Bagi orang yang sakit sebaiknya makan lebih pagi yaitu sebelum pk 06.30. Makan pagi sebelum pk 07.30 sangat baik bagi mereka yang ingin menjaga kesehatannya. Bagi mereka yang tidak makan pagi harap mengubah kebiasaannya ini, bahkan masih lebih baik terlambat makan pagi hingga pk 9-10 daripada tidak makan sama sekali..
Tidur terlalu malam dan bangun terlalu siang akan mengacaukan proses pembuangan zat-zat yang tidak berguna. Selain itu, dari tengah malam hingga pukul 4 dini hari adalah waktu bagi sumsum tulang belakang untuk memproduksi darah. Sebab itulah, Tidurlah Nyenyak dan Jangan Begadang.
Ayoooo sapa yang suka bergadang n telat bangun pagiiii??
Chocolate Mousse
To those of you with a vague understanding of scientific principles, this will probably make sense.
For those in the opposite camp (and I put myself firmly in this bracket), this will probably seem a little bit like sorcery.
If this technique had been demonstrated by an enterprising 16th century chef, he would probably have been burnt at the stake for dancing with the devil and engaging in nefarious culinary exploits.
This is a chocolate mousse made entirely out of chocolate and water.
There is nothing else involved. No binders, no emulsifiers, no eggs, no eye of newt or bollock of bat. Nada. Zilch.
Chocolate and water.
It is one of the few ‘experiments’ I’ve attempted from Hervé This’ book Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavour (Columbia University Press, 2006).
Despite references to ‘metabotropic glutamate’ and ‘sugar chains forming molecular skeletons to carry carboxylic acid’ much of the book remains within the grasp of the average home cook and offers some valuable material to those looking to improve their cooking, or at least seeking a more thorough understanding of what goes on when frying pan meets egg.
When I read about the possibility of making a chocolate mousse within seconds and only two elements, I had to try it.
The lack of any extra ingredients in this chocolate mousse enables the purity of the chocolate to really shine, important if you’re working with high quality produce or single estate chocolate, for example.
The flavours aren’t dulled and there is an intensity of flavour I’ve not experienced before. It also opens up all sorts of possibilities for adding additional flavours, if you so wanted.
Perhaps a drop of chilli or a little vanilla extract.
So, how do you go about making this magic mousse?
Melt equal parts (by weight) of chocolate and water together in a double boiler. Remove the bowl, place it in some iced water and, using a good old fashioned balloon whisk, start beating the liquid.
You should notice a change in the texture almost immediately.
Keep whisking and then remove the bowl from the water to stop it from cooling too much and solidifying again.
Stop whisking once the ‘mousse’ is at the required consistency. If you go too far, don’t worry – just re-melt the chocolate and keep trying until you get the texture you want.
For my ‘cauliflower cheese’ I kept going until I had a slightly grainy texture but for a dessert you probably want something a little lighter.
Food sorcery at its finest, and most simple. Now all I have to do is avoid visiting Salem.
I’m on Twitter…
For those in the opposite camp (and I put myself firmly in this bracket), this will probably seem a little bit like sorcery.
If this technique had been demonstrated by an enterprising 16th century chef, he would probably have been burnt at the stake for dancing with the devil and engaging in nefarious culinary exploits.
This is a chocolate mousse made entirely out of chocolate and water.
There is nothing else involved. No binders, no emulsifiers, no eggs, no eye of newt or bollock of bat. Nada. Zilch.
Chocolate and water.
It is one of the few ‘experiments’ I’ve attempted from Hervé This’ book Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavour (Columbia University Press, 2006).
Despite references to ‘metabotropic glutamate’ and ‘sugar chains forming molecular skeletons to carry carboxylic acid’ much of the book remains within the grasp of the average home cook and offers some valuable material to those looking to improve their cooking, or at least seeking a more thorough understanding of what goes on when frying pan meets egg.
When I read about the possibility of making a chocolate mousse within seconds and only two elements, I had to try it.
The lack of any extra ingredients in this chocolate mousse enables the purity of the chocolate to really shine, important if you’re working with high quality produce or single estate chocolate, for example.
The flavours aren’t dulled and there is an intensity of flavour I’ve not experienced before. It also opens up all sorts of possibilities for adding additional flavours, if you so wanted.
Perhaps a drop of chilli or a little vanilla extract.
So, how do you go about making this magic mousse?
Melt equal parts (by weight) of chocolate and water together in a double boiler. Remove the bowl, place it in some iced water and, using a good old fashioned balloon whisk, start beating the liquid.
You should notice a change in the texture almost immediately.
Keep whisking and then remove the bowl from the water to stop it from cooling too much and solidifying again.
Stop whisking once the ‘mousse’ is at the required consistency. If you go too far, don’t worry – just re-melt the chocolate and keep trying until you get the texture you want.
For my ‘cauliflower cheese’ I kept going until I had a slightly grainy texture but for a dessert you probably want something a little lighter.
Food sorcery at its finest, and most simple. Now all I have to do is avoid visiting Salem.
I’m on Twitter…
Ipod Touch 8Gig 2nd Gen.
All this time, i look at the prices of items and i will just say to myself (get a 2Nd hand one, its cheaper).... but now , today, I Have Gotten Myself a IPod TOUCH 8Gig!!!!!!!
I feel its Awesome!
its slick (nice design)
sounds good, with the headphone
great videos (YouTube)
can go online and blog/facebok and stuff.
its my new toy/note/calender/MP4/Mp3/Internet tool =)
Thanks for reading.
I feel its Awesome!
its slick (nice design)
sounds good, with the headphone
great videos (YouTube)
can go online and blog/facebok and stuff.
its my new toy/note/calender/MP4/Mp3/Internet tool =)
Thanks for reading.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Cannes Lions
CANNES LIONS 2009
56TH International Advertising Festival
June 21 - 27 / Cannes, France
Tomorrow is my last day at work. I am devoting my few hours to perfect my entry for this festival. Andrew Petch, our Australian Expat from Saatchi Singapore said that my idea is brilliant! If the juries will judge it, it's only a yes or a no. The simplicity of the idea can make me bring home a gold or just be grateful that I had this idea entered in Cannes. Saatchi & Saatchi Manila will have 10 entries and will be entered on different categories. My entry is for our client North Face. One of these days I will post it here and show you how my idea started.
I can't thank Andrew enough. Sometimes he makes me crazy because he is very very particular on details. Uncountable revisions everyday. I have on my desk all the printouts I made and all the Final Artwork's proof. Damn they are mountain of papers now! Well that I have to exaggerate. But seriously, Andrew will push us to the limit and there's this one funny day that I was skateboarding around the office and he gave me that strange look. Maybe he's thinking that I was slacking and not doing my North Face ad. So last Friday, he approached me and said: "Hey Joan, no more skateboarding today. You have to focus and finish your North Face. And this one, will not give you fame and money (pointing on the monitor with the DARI Creme stb I was doing at that moment) but that one, (pointing at my North Face Ad on my table) will make you famous and will give you big money." Oh well, he is God damn right! If by fate I win, it will do give me fame and for sure the money will follow.
So as I count the days before the announcement of winners, I will pray that somehow my idea will be appreciated and will be considered brilliant by the juries at Cannes Lions Festival. I can't thank GOD enough for all the blessings he's giving me. I am amazed everyday about my life and how He works in mysterious ways. I often find myself teary eyed and smiling almost everyday as I see the sky blue during day and how stars glisten every night. I consider my life as a journey full of surprises and lessons that I never stop learning and growing. Now I just don't say I am learning and growing but I make it happen everyday. I will prove to the world that one can change and it's for the better.
I can't thank Andrew enough. Sometimes he makes me crazy because he is very very particular on details. Uncountable revisions everyday. I have on my desk all the printouts I made and all the Final Artwork's proof. Damn they are mountain of papers now! Well that I have to exaggerate. But seriously, Andrew will push us to the limit and there's this one funny day that I was skateboarding around the office and he gave me that strange look. Maybe he's thinking that I was slacking and not doing my North Face ad. So last Friday, he approached me and said: "Hey Joan, no more skateboarding today. You have to focus and finish your North Face. And this one, will not give you fame and money (pointing on the monitor with the DARI Creme stb I was doing at that moment) but that one, (pointing at my North Face Ad on my table) will make you famous and will give you big money." Oh well, he is God damn right! If by fate I win, it will do give me fame and for sure the money will follow.
So as I count the days before the announcement of winners, I will pray that somehow my idea will be appreciated and will be considered brilliant by the juries at Cannes Lions Festival. I can't thank GOD enough for all the blessings he's giving me. I am amazed everyday about my life and how He works in mysterious ways. I often find myself teary eyed and smiling almost everyday as I see the sky blue during day and how stars glisten every night. I consider my life as a journey full of surprises and lessons that I never stop learning and growing. Now I just don't say I am learning and growing but I make it happen everyday. I will prove to the world that one can change and it's for the better.
Lets go for the GOLD!!!
hugs,
joanie xxx
update hint
salam. hye guys. erm... sorry sbb x terbls msg d chatbox or fb or anything.
sbb mmg x on9 these few days. since laptop d-repair lg~~~ wawawawa.
i've got a lot of things to tell. yup. but, lepas dpt laptop semule.
since ni pon on9 gune laptop nora, d rumahnye. hee. trimas. XD
update hint
and owh. mmg blog ini suda d privatekan. harap maklum. hee.
and and. i'll read ur blog later. cant wait 4 my laptop!!! huhu...
wish me luck 4 my practical this evening. sgt takot okay..???
and... rinduuu sgt same ini blog n cite2 kalian. hee.
take care ppl!
sbb mmg x on9 these few days. since laptop d-repair lg~~~ wawawawa.
i've got a lot of things to tell. yup. but, lepas dpt laptop semule.
since ni pon on9 gune laptop nora, d rumahnye. hee. trimas. XD
update hint
- bout 2 movies - bohsia, fast n furious 4 [with ttm]
- KT [kenangan terindah] call me last nite~~~ whee =]
- birthday abah
- my practical test TODAY! - this evening. huuu...
and owh. mmg blog ini suda d privatekan. harap maklum. hee.
and and. i'll read ur blog later. cant wait 4 my laptop!!! huhu...
wish me luck 4 my practical this evening. sgt takot okay..???
and... rinduuu sgt same ini blog n cite2 kalian. hee.
take care ppl!
Thanks for coming
April 28
Food Writer’s Diary is enjoying robust traffic today, thanks to links from the talented and I’m just going to go ahead and say good-looking people at Eater, Grub Street, Midtown Lunch, Cityfile and elsewhere, so I’d like to take the opportunity to welcome new visitors, ask one and all to participate in the poll on the right of this page, and to be as kind to strangers as is reasonable.
I’d love to write a fascinating new blog entry today, but I’m on 19 different deadlines and am about to be late for a staff meeting, so instead, and in honor of iced coffee season, here’s a link to a blog entry of yesteryear about the language of Starbucks and assorted other things. It’s not too long, and it’s an enjoyable read. I would add a coda, and that’s just a mention of the new Comedy Central show, Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, showing that the use of redundancy in language as a humorous device continues.
Food Writer’s Diary is enjoying robust traffic today, thanks to links from the talented and I’m just going to go ahead and say good-looking people at Eater, Grub Street, Midtown Lunch, Cityfile and elsewhere, so I’d like to take the opportunity to welcome new visitors, ask one and all to participate in the poll on the right of this page, and to be as kind to strangers as is reasonable.
I’d love to write a fascinating new blog entry today, but I’m on 19 different deadlines and am about to be late for a staff meeting, so instead, and in honor of iced coffee season, here’s a link to a blog entry of yesteryear about the language of Starbucks and assorted other things. It’s not too long, and it’s an enjoyable read. I would add a coda, and that’s just a mention of the new Comedy Central show, Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, showing that the use of redundancy in language as a humorous device continues.
Cauliflower Cheese
One of the challenges facing molecular gastronomy is knowing where to draw the line between innovation and tradition.
Some dishes have become classic for good reason – they taste really good just the way they are. As such, alterations can be seen as pointless frippery. Experimentation for the sake of change.
Why ‘deconstruct’ a guacamole when regular guacamole is pretty close to perfection?
For culinary innovation to be successful, the resultant dish must maintain the integrity of the inspiration, or else the point has been missed and all that remains on the plate, and on the palate, is the bitter taste of disappointment and a hunger for the original.
Even Ferran Adria et al accept that not all dishes are a success. Granted, he scores more hits than misses but I’m sure his team have an awful lot of fun along the way.
And much of what this is about is having fun.
Eating (and cooking) is one of only two pan-sensory activities in which we, as humans, engage. Why shouldn’t it delight, amuse, surprise, tease or even arouse rather than just fuel?
Balancing these twin objectives – integrity and amusement against innovation and satisfaction – is a real challenge. But one that is enormously satisfying when it works. This was my first effort
Cauliflower Cheese
Cauliflower cheese is one of those big classics. Done right it is like being wrapped in a warm duvet and watching a Frank Capra film. Bite-sized florets of cauliflower, still carrying some bite, covered in a cheesey white sauce and topped with even more melty cheese, just turning that slightly crispy/chewy shade of brown. Give me the dish and a fork. No plates or napkins necessary.
Stripped down it has three main elements – the sauce, the cheese and the cauliflower. It also has three textures – soft, chewy and slightly crunchy. Finally, there are three flavours – saltiness from the cheese, caulifloweryness from the cauliflower and a slight bitterness from the topping.
The challenge was to keep all these fundamentals in place without compromising the flavour or satisfying nature of the inspiration.
After much head scratching, musing and mulling, this is what I came up with:
Mozzarella spheres with deep-fried cauliflower and bitter chocolate and a cauliflower and Parmesan puree with Parmesan crisps.
I think it ticks all the boxes. And you’re going to want the recipe aren’t you? I shall make it so…
For more little nibbles, follow me on Twitter
Some dishes have become classic for good reason – they taste really good just the way they are. As such, alterations can be seen as pointless frippery. Experimentation for the sake of change.
Why ‘deconstruct’ a guacamole when regular guacamole is pretty close to perfection?
For culinary innovation to be successful, the resultant dish must maintain the integrity of the inspiration, or else the point has been missed and all that remains on the plate, and on the palate, is the bitter taste of disappointment and a hunger for the original.
Even Ferran Adria et al accept that not all dishes are a success. Granted, he scores more hits than misses but I’m sure his team have an awful lot of fun along the way.
And much of what this is about is having fun.
Eating (and cooking) is one of only two pan-sensory activities in which we, as humans, engage. Why shouldn’t it delight, amuse, surprise, tease or even arouse rather than just fuel?
Balancing these twin objectives – integrity and amusement against innovation and satisfaction – is a real challenge. But one that is enormously satisfying when it works. This was my first effort
Cauliflower Cheese
Cauliflower cheese is one of those big classics. Done right it is like being wrapped in a warm duvet and watching a Frank Capra film. Bite-sized florets of cauliflower, still carrying some bite, covered in a cheesey white sauce and topped with even more melty cheese, just turning that slightly crispy/chewy shade of brown. Give me the dish and a fork. No plates or napkins necessary.
Stripped down it has three main elements – the sauce, the cheese and the cauliflower. It also has three textures – soft, chewy and slightly crunchy. Finally, there are three flavours – saltiness from the cheese, caulifloweryness from the cauliflower and a slight bitterness from the topping.
The challenge was to keep all these fundamentals in place without compromising the flavour or satisfying nature of the inspiration.
After much head scratching, musing and mulling, this is what I came up with:
Mozzarella spheres with deep-fried cauliflower and bitter chocolate and a cauliflower and Parmesan puree with Parmesan crisps.
I think it ticks all the boxes. And you’re going to want the recipe aren’t you? I shall make it so…
For more little nibbles, follow me on Twitter
Monday, April 27, 2009
手作り市. te tsukuri ichi, barang kerajinan tangan
26 april 2009, minggu
Hari ini rencana pergi ke flea market, biasa da liat liat barang, kalau lagi hoki, dapet barang bagus harga murah...hehe. Dapet cup lucu lucu n baju seragam sekolah masih baru banget, buat Mei. ..wah.
Trus di ruangan yang satu lagi, ada pameran barang kerajinan tangan. Bagus bagus, tapi harganya juga baguss banget..hehe, maklum da buatan tangan, dihargai banget disini.
Mulai dari kerajinan tangan dari kayu, mpe dari kertas...bagus banget...
Dari asesoris cewek mpe batu batu alam yg dirangkai jadi cincin ato kalung. Trus ada lampu meja, yg dibikin dari kertas, dari kotak susu kata orangnya si. Ada bermacam macam tas rajutan, tas dari kain, segala bentuk barang yg terbuat dari kain, banyak macem dah..... rajin banget bikinnya...bagus, tapi ya harganya juga bagusss
Hari ini rencana pergi ke flea market, biasa da liat liat barang, kalau lagi hoki, dapet barang bagus harga murah...hehe. Dapet cup lucu lucu n baju seragam sekolah masih baru banget, buat Mei. ..wah.
Trus di ruangan yang satu lagi, ada pameran barang kerajinan tangan. Bagus bagus, tapi harganya juga baguss banget..hehe, maklum da buatan tangan, dihargai banget disini.Mulai dari kerajinan tangan dari kayu, mpe dari kertas...bagus banget...
Dari asesoris cewek mpe batu batu alam yg dirangkai jadi cincin ato kalung. Trus ada lampu meja, yg dibikin dari kertas, dari kotak susu kata orangnya si. Ada bermacam macam tas rajutan, tas dari kain, segala bentuk barang yg terbuat dari kain, banyak macem dah..... rajin banget bikinnya...bagus, tapi ya harganya juga bagusss
Coup
Lately I can't seem to find a recipe to work for me. Sure, I occasionally beat my food into submission - or into a cake - but at the end of the day I've left it to the food to do the work while I sit back and enjoy the results. So I think my groceries have gotten together, elected a leader, and launched a coup. I've thus far imprisoned an unpliable yeast bread, an unfreezable ice cream, a dry and overly clovey cake, some overcooked chicken and stinky salmon. I'm trying to torture the name of their leader out of them. Maybe the limp cilantro sulking in murky water in the fridge is behind this. Or the one night stand I had with the chili sauce left it bitter - literally.
I don't know what's going on in my kitchen.
There have been a few allies however. Warm and comforting goat cheese grits. Spicy lamb meatballs. And my new favorite tomato curry sauce which gets along with everyone.
I found a recipe for a chick pea curry called chana Punjabi or chole (cho-lay). I've made and eaten chole before, but I gave the new recipe a try. Basically you cook up some chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos, and then puree them with some fresh chopped tomatoes. Simmer the sauce for a while with spices like paprika, garam masala, turmeric, and coriander. At this point, you are meant to add chick peas but it occurred to me that the sauce was good enough to mix with any kind of meat or vegetable, and I had a piece of meat mysteriously marked "Goat" which I was ready to cook. The mysterious meat portion turned out to be a rack, and I decided that rather than cut it up and stew it in the sauce it would be better off roasted. I marinated it in garlic, ginger, red pepper, turmeric and salt over night, then seared it off on the stove before transferring it to the oven. Two hours later the goat was soft and supple, falling off the bone with a nicely browned crust. I poured in the tomato sauce and let it roast a bit longer, so that the tomatoes could take on the meat with their own sweet roasted flavor.
If it looks like I devoured the meat, it's true. Drenched in my new favorite sauce, it was delicious. Not to be outdone by my rebellious kitchen, I prepared a nice plate with, of course, some greens on the side.
Now that I have my tomato sauce ally, I can get back into the battle and try to hold off the dried out salami, the moldy cheeses, and the mushy vegetables. Soon I'll be whipping them into shape, or at least into a hot dish. Because that's where bad food goes to die.
I don't know what's going on in my kitchen.
There have been a few allies however. Warm and comforting goat cheese grits. Spicy lamb meatballs. And my new favorite tomato curry sauce which gets along with everyone.
I found a recipe for a chick pea curry called chana Punjabi or chole (cho-lay). I've made and eaten chole before, but I gave the new recipe a try. Basically you cook up some chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos, and then puree them with some fresh chopped tomatoes. Simmer the sauce for a while with spices like paprika, garam masala, turmeric, and coriander. At this point, you are meant to add chick peas but it occurred to me that the sauce was good enough to mix with any kind of meat or vegetable, and I had a piece of meat mysteriously marked "Goat" which I was ready to cook. The mysterious meat portion turned out to be a rack, and I decided that rather than cut it up and stew it in the sauce it would be better off roasted. I marinated it in garlic, ginger, red pepper, turmeric and salt over night, then seared it off on the stove before transferring it to the oven. Two hours later the goat was soft and supple, falling off the bone with a nicely browned crust. I poured in the tomato sauce and let it roast a bit longer, so that the tomatoes could take on the meat with their own sweet roasted flavor.
If it looks like I devoured the meat, it's true. Drenched in my new favorite sauce, it was delicious. Not to be outdone by my rebellious kitchen, I prepared a nice plate with, of course, some greens on the side.
Now that I have my tomato sauce ally, I can get back into the battle and try to hold off the dried out salami, the moldy cheeses, and the mushy vegetables. Soon I'll be whipping them into shape, or at least into a hot dish. Because that's where bad food goes to die.
off the record
April 27
If someone tells you something in confidence, it’s in confidence. You have to respect that or you’re a jerk. I’ve had colleagues in the past who have insisted that we shouldn’t have off the record conversations at all, because they just get you into trouble. But sometimes interviewees let things out that you can talk about, and that’s how I learned of the tentative opening date (okay, opening week) of New York City’s first ever Baja Fresh, at 465 Lexington Ave. (between 45th and 46th streets if Google Maps is to be believed). If all goes as planned, Qdoba and Chipotle will have new competition starting the week of May 11.
Mark your calendars.
April 30 update: I guess all didn't go as planned, as Eater.com is now reporting that Baja Fresh won’t be opening until the week of the 19th at the earliest. No big shocker there — the only New York restaurant I can recall opening on time was the original Tasting Room.
If someone tells you something in confidence, it’s in confidence. You have to respect that or you’re a jerk. I’ve had colleagues in the past who have insisted that we shouldn’t have off the record conversations at all, because they just get you into trouble. But sometimes interviewees let things out that you can talk about, and that’s how I learned of the tentative opening date (okay, opening week) of New York City’s first ever Baja Fresh, at 465 Lexington Ave. (between 45th and 46th streets if Google Maps is to be believed). If all goes as planned, Qdoba and Chipotle will have new competition starting the week of May 11.
Mark your calendars.
April 30 update: I guess all didn't go as planned, as Eater.com is now reporting that Baja Fresh won’t be opening until the week of the 19th at the earliest. No big shocker there — the only New York restaurant I can recall opening on time was the original Tasting Room.
Marcus in the kitchen, at Aquavit, on Monday, during lunch
April 27
Marcus Samuelsson was actually in the kitchen at Aquavit, on Monday, during lunch.
That might sound a little condescending, but Marcus is the chef-owner of Aquavit, not the executive chef (that would be the able and always-gracious Johan Svensson), so he doesn't really need to be there.
But he came out, said hello and chatted a bit with me and my lunch companions, publicist Jeffrey Ward and chef Rodelio Aglibot. Jeffrey's from Rockit Ranch Productions, a restaurant company based in the Chicago area. One of its newer restaurants is Sunda, where Rodelio's the chef. He calls his food “New Asian,” which he thinks sounds less hackneyed than "pan-Asian" and less lame than "fusion," and I think he's right.
I'd interviewed Rodelio before, when he was at Yi Cuisine in Los Angeles, and he always was doing interesting things with food
(sweet avocado mousse with lychee sorbet and raspberry sauce, garnished with candied jalapeño; eggs benedict with kurobuta pork adobo, instead of Canadian bacon, in puff pastry — this was back in 2004-2005), so it was good to finally meet him.
He's about to add a lunch menu that will have ramen and his own take on such Hawaiian items as plate lunch and loco moco. He also does a great-sounding Thai fried chicken, which he marinates in coconut milk with various Thai flavors, simmers it to an internal temperature of 160, and then coats it in rice flour and deep fries it.
But today, this is what I ate:
chilled watercress soup with tuna tartare, watermelon, egg and caviar
a mid-course sent out by Marcus of braised short ribs with leeks, pumpkin seed pesto and sweet potato
Gravlax and shrimp sandwich with avocado, egg and espresso mustard sauce,
then we split an Arctic Circle (goat cheese parfait with blueberry sorbet and passionfruit curd)
and I finished it off with an expresso.
Marcus Samuelsson was actually in the kitchen at Aquavit, on Monday, during lunch.
That might sound a little condescending, but Marcus is the chef-owner of Aquavit, not the executive chef (that would be the able and always-gracious Johan Svensson), so he doesn't really need to be there.
But he came out, said hello and chatted a bit with me and my lunch companions, publicist Jeffrey Ward and chef Rodelio Aglibot. Jeffrey's from Rockit Ranch Productions, a restaurant company based in the Chicago area. One of its newer restaurants is Sunda, where Rodelio's the chef. He calls his food “New Asian,” which he thinks sounds less hackneyed than "pan-Asian" and less lame than "fusion," and I think he's right.
I'd interviewed Rodelio before, when he was at Yi Cuisine in Los Angeles, and he always was doing interesting things with food
(sweet avocado mousse with lychee sorbet and raspberry sauce, garnished with candied jalapeño; eggs benedict with kurobuta pork adobo, instead of Canadian bacon, in puff pastry — this was back in 2004-2005), so it was good to finally meet him.
He's about to add a lunch menu that will have ramen and his own take on such Hawaiian items as plate lunch and loco moco. He also does a great-sounding Thai fried chicken, which he marinates in coconut milk with various Thai flavors, simmers it to an internal temperature of 160, and then coats it in rice flour and deep fries it.
But today, this is what I ate:
chilled watercress soup with tuna tartare, watermelon, egg and caviar
a mid-course sent out by Marcus of braised short ribs with leeks, pumpkin seed pesto and sweet potato
Gravlax and shrimp sandwich with avocado, egg and espresso mustard sauce,
then we split an Arctic Circle (goat cheese parfait with blueberry sorbet and passionfruit curd)
and I finished it off with an expresso.
Salt & Vinegar Crisps
With the intro out of the way, we can crack on. Let’s begin with air. Or maybe foam. Anyone know when an air becomes a foam? Answers below please.
For the uninitiated, and those without access to liquid nitrogen, vacuum packaging devices, Large Hydron Colliders and other assorted machinery, airs and foams seem to be an excellent point of entry into the seemingly murky (and achingly complex) world of molecular gastronomy.
They are also relatively easy to create and apparently hard to fuck up (although, as expected, I did manage. You shan’t be seeing my ‘poached egg with paprika foam and roasted chickpeas’ because it looked like something from low budget Korean horror movie, circa 1983).
Airs and foams have come in for a bit of stick recently with some chefs apparently desperate to adorn all their dishes with a garnish that looks like gargled frog spawn. This is a bad thing.
But they do have their uses. They are light, delicate and carry flavours in a completely unexpected way. They’re also tremendous fun.
If you think you’ve never experienced such a level of gastronomy, think again. Unless, of course, you’ve never had a cappuccino – foam at its most famous. Or Foamous. *Sigh*
Using milk is one way to create the effect. Another is to use a chemical derived from soya beans or egg yolks called lecithin.
Although predominantly used in food production as an emulsifier (a go-between that helps the combining of fats and water Рas in a b̩arnaise sauce), lecithin can also be added to virtually any liquid then whizzed up to create delicate bubbles of flavour.
Not wanting to ruin another perfectly good egg (see above), I thought about other possibilities and came round to the idea of using an air to flavour homemade crisps – something I first encountered at Midsummer House in Cambridge where we had crisps with a sweet balsamic foam as a pre-lunch nibble.
It was a neat twist on olive oil and balsamic vinegar, so often a satisfying starter when served with crusty bread. Time to get experimental.
With this in mind, instead of deep-frying the thin slices of potato, they were brushed on both sides with extra virgin olive oil and put into a hot oven.
Meanwhile, I mixed 75g of balsamic vinegar (not the good stuff) with the same amount of water, added 0.5g of lecithin and let it dissolve into the liquid.
Using a ‘wide mouthed container’, as recommended by another blogger, I then applied a hand blender to the surface of the liquid in an effort to create the small, stable, bubbles that form the ‘air.’
Oops.
There are still dots of balsamic vinegar on the ceiling, the fridge, the kettle and, probably, my hair.
Panicking, I plunged the blender deeper into the dark liquid.
Oops. Again.
The blade managed to cut cleanly through a small raised nipple in the base of the plastic tub and all I could do was watch as foamy (hooray!) vinegar and water slowly leached out onto the surface and down onto my socks.
Sometimes all you can do is watch as the horror unfolds. So that’s what I did.
Two towels later I remembered the potatoes, now a slightly darker shade of brown than I’d anticipated.
Oops thrice. Time for coffee.
Composure and cool regained I forgot everything that had gone before and started again.
Peel potato. Slice thinly on mandolin (carefully avoiding the cutting off of fingertips). Brush lightly with EVOO and bake in a slightly cooler oven for about four minutes on either side. Salt with Malden sea salt on emergence and leave to cool on something slightly absorbent. Like David Guest’s face. Or some kitchen paper. I tend to use the latter.
Meanwhile: mix vinegar and water with weird yellow powder and blitz carefully with a hand mixer. Leave for five minutes then collect the resultant bubbles into a small receptacle. A shot glass or small espresso cup will suffice.
Phew.
Dip each crisp into the foam and then shove it into your expectant mouth. Prepare yourself for a flavour explosion and a melding of textures so wondrous you’ll want to streak naked through the streets. Or at least have another. And then keep going until they are all gone.
For more delicate morsels, follow me on Twitter.
For the uninitiated, and those without access to liquid nitrogen, vacuum packaging devices, Large Hydron Colliders and other assorted machinery, airs and foams seem to be an excellent point of entry into the seemingly murky (and achingly complex) world of molecular gastronomy.
They are also relatively easy to create and apparently hard to fuck up (although, as expected, I did manage. You shan’t be seeing my ‘poached egg with paprika foam and roasted chickpeas’ because it looked like something from low budget Korean horror movie, circa 1983).
Airs and foams have come in for a bit of stick recently with some chefs apparently desperate to adorn all their dishes with a garnish that looks like gargled frog spawn. This is a bad thing.
But they do have their uses. They are light, delicate and carry flavours in a completely unexpected way. They’re also tremendous fun.
If you think you’ve never experienced such a level of gastronomy, think again. Unless, of course, you’ve never had a cappuccino – foam at its most famous. Or Foamous. *Sigh*
Using milk is one way to create the effect. Another is to use a chemical derived from soya beans or egg yolks called lecithin.
Although predominantly used in food production as an emulsifier (a go-between that helps the combining of fats and water Рas in a b̩arnaise sauce), lecithin can also be added to virtually any liquid then whizzed up to create delicate bubbles of flavour.
Not wanting to ruin another perfectly good egg (see above), I thought about other possibilities and came round to the idea of using an air to flavour homemade crisps – something I first encountered at Midsummer House in Cambridge where we had crisps with a sweet balsamic foam as a pre-lunch nibble.
It was a neat twist on olive oil and balsamic vinegar, so often a satisfying starter when served with crusty bread. Time to get experimental.
With this in mind, instead of deep-frying the thin slices of potato, they were brushed on both sides with extra virgin olive oil and put into a hot oven.
Meanwhile, I mixed 75g of balsamic vinegar (not the good stuff) with the same amount of water, added 0.5g of lecithin and let it dissolve into the liquid.
Using a ‘wide mouthed container’, as recommended by another blogger, I then applied a hand blender to the surface of the liquid in an effort to create the small, stable, bubbles that form the ‘air.’
Oops.
There are still dots of balsamic vinegar on the ceiling, the fridge, the kettle and, probably, my hair.
Panicking, I plunged the blender deeper into the dark liquid.
Oops. Again.
The blade managed to cut cleanly through a small raised nipple in the base of the plastic tub and all I could do was watch as foamy (hooray!) vinegar and water slowly leached out onto the surface and down onto my socks.
Sometimes all you can do is watch as the horror unfolds. So that’s what I did.
Two towels later I remembered the potatoes, now a slightly darker shade of brown than I’d anticipated.
Oops thrice. Time for coffee.
Composure and cool regained I forgot everything that had gone before and started again.
Peel potato. Slice thinly on mandolin (carefully avoiding the cutting off of fingertips). Brush lightly with EVOO and bake in a slightly cooler oven for about four minutes on either side. Salt with Malden sea salt on emergence and leave to cool on something slightly absorbent. Like David Guest’s face. Or some kitchen paper. I tend to use the latter.
Meanwhile: mix vinegar and water with weird yellow powder and blitz carefully with a hand mixer. Leave for five minutes then collect the resultant bubbles into a small receptacle. A shot glass or small espresso cup will suffice.
Phew.
Dip each crisp into the foam and then shove it into your expectant mouth. Prepare yourself for a flavour explosion and a melding of textures so wondrous you’ll want to streak naked through the streets. Or at least have another. And then keep going until they are all gone.
For more delicate morsels, follow me on Twitter.
What Might Have Been...(an introduction to 'Molecular Gastronomy')
Between the ages of about 12 and 16 we spent, as a family, three summers in a tiny coastal town on Spain’s northern Costa Brava.
At the time, the resort of Roses was known for few things apart from the inevitable mini golf course, a go-karting track and perfectly serviceable stretch of beach. It was bustling enough in the evenings without feeling oppressive and enjoyed a steady trickle of tourists, predominantly from Germany and Britain.
How things change.
Sort of.
Roses’ most famous landmark is now a restaurant. But not just any restaurant: the best restaurant in the world. Officially. Ferran Adria’s El Bulli has once again been awarded the accolade of serving the best food of any establishment on the planet.
The restaurant’s name (meaning ‘bulldog’ in honour of the orginal owner’s pets) has become a by-word for culinary experimentation, as well as excellence, and Adria’s influence continues to make its mark on menus all over the world.
His, now notorious, style of cooking has been dubbed ‘molecular gastronomy’ but the name is considered to be something of a misnomer with even the founding fathers of this new cuisine trying to throw off the tenacious label to try and make it sound less inaccessible.
Where is all this going? Well, sadly, at the time I was holidaying there, El Bulli, despite having notched up two Michelin stars, was not the place of gastronomic pilgrimage it now is. It was known amongst the tightly knit fraternity of the foodie elite, but certainly didn’t feature on my culinary radar, nor that of my parents.
As a result, we never went.
It saddens me to know that at the time, there were some nights the restaurant would struggle to make ten bookings.
They now receive about two million requests a year with only a tiny handful – 8,000 – lucky enough to bag themselves a place during the six months it is open.
But, whilst I might not have direct experience, or even a reservation, I am in possession of the next best thing.
A while back I wrote about receiving the Texturas starter kit, the equivalent of a foodist’s chemistry set to allow budding ‘molecular gastronomists’ (since no better term has been invented I’ll struggle on with this one) to replicate some of the cutting edge techniques that have made Ferran Adria truly famous.
And I’ve finally got round to paying with it.
So, this is by way of introduction. And, hopefully a justification for the slightly – erm – unusual nature of the next few posts.
For more verbal foams, airs, spheres and purees, follow me on Twitter.
At the time, the resort of Roses was known for few things apart from the inevitable mini golf course, a go-karting track and perfectly serviceable stretch of beach. It was bustling enough in the evenings without feeling oppressive and enjoyed a steady trickle of tourists, predominantly from Germany and Britain.
How things change.
Sort of.
Roses’ most famous landmark is now a restaurant. But not just any restaurant: the best restaurant in the world. Officially. Ferran Adria’s El Bulli has once again been awarded the accolade of serving the best food of any establishment on the planet.
The restaurant’s name (meaning ‘bulldog’ in honour of the orginal owner’s pets) has become a by-word for culinary experimentation, as well as excellence, and Adria’s influence continues to make its mark on menus all over the world.
His, now notorious, style of cooking has been dubbed ‘molecular gastronomy’ but the name is considered to be something of a misnomer with even the founding fathers of this new cuisine trying to throw off the tenacious label to try and make it sound less inaccessible.
Where is all this going? Well, sadly, at the time I was holidaying there, El Bulli, despite having notched up two Michelin stars, was not the place of gastronomic pilgrimage it now is. It was known amongst the tightly knit fraternity of the foodie elite, but certainly didn’t feature on my culinary radar, nor that of my parents.
As a result, we never went.
It saddens me to know that at the time, there were some nights the restaurant would struggle to make ten bookings.
They now receive about two million requests a year with only a tiny handful – 8,000 – lucky enough to bag themselves a place during the six months it is open.
But, whilst I might not have direct experience, or even a reservation, I am in possession of the next best thing.
A while back I wrote about receiving the Texturas starter kit, the equivalent of a foodist’s chemistry set to allow budding ‘molecular gastronomists’ (since no better term has been invented I’ll struggle on with this one) to replicate some of the cutting edge techniques that have made Ferran Adria truly famous.
And I’ve finally got round to paying with it.
So, this is by way of introduction. And, hopefully a justification for the slightly – erm – unusual nature of the next few posts.
For more verbal foams, airs, spheres and purees, follow me on Twitter.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Limited Offer
Hey readers and friends!
Just in case you plan to visit Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (formerly Saigon)–I want you guys to grab the promo offer of PAL. Book only today and tomorrow. $92 round trip (Less than five thousand bucks) if you are traveling from June to October. To the Artist Chef followers, I hope you can drop by and dine at my place when you visit Vietnam. And to my friends, I'd love you guys to come over. You are all welcome to stay at my place by then.
Joanie is off to Saigon very soon. Few more days left and I'm leaving. I have so many announcements to make. I will share to you guys the details soon. Hope that all of you would still be there as I take a new journey in life.
Joanie is off to Saigon very soon. Few more days left and I'm leaving. I have so many announcements to make. I will share to you guys the details soon. Hope that all of you would still be there as I take a new journey in life.
hugs,
joanie xxx
Hati hati virus flu babi
Milis dari tetangga lagiiii...pentinggg...
Berita flu babi saat ini menjadi perhatian dunia, Asalnya dari Babi yang Demam, Batuk dan Depresi
Menyebarnya juga sangat cepat, hati-hati dan waspada dengan keluarga kita.
Berikut postingan nya aku copas dari detik com;
Negara-negara Asia mulai mengambil tindakan untuk mengantisipasi menyebarnya flu babi Meksiko ke seluruh dunia. Beberapa di antaranya memberlakukan karantina dan pengecekan terhadap orang-orang yang baru saja tiba dari Meksiko dan Amerika Serikat yang terindikasi gejala flu.
Seperti diberitakan Reuters, Minggu (26/4/2009), pemerintah China telah mengeluarkan peringatan darurat dan meminta warganya yang baru saja pulang dari Meksiko dan AS melapor jika mengalami gejala seperti flu. Departemen Kesehatan dan Departemen Pertanian juga terus memantau perkembangan penyebaran virus ini.
Sedangkan Singapura terus memantau dan meminta seluruh petugas kesehatan waspada jika terjadi kasus yang mencurigakan. Pemerintah juga menyarankan warganya yang dalam seminggu terakhir baru pulang dari Meksiko dan Texas serta California segera memeriksakan diri ke dokter jika mengalami gejala yang menyerupai flu.
Selain itu warga juga diminta membatasi kunjungan ke Meksiko dan AS. "Yang mengkhawatirkan adalah banyak penderita yang sebelumnya tidak pernah melakukan kontak dengan peternakan maupun babi. Artinya penularan dari orang ke orang sangat bisa terjadi," ujar Menkes Singapura Khaw Boon Wan.
Sementara itu Vietnam telah meluncurkan sistem pengawasan penyakit untuk mendeteksi kasus-kasus yang mencurigakan. Pemerintah Vietnam juga telah berkoordinasi dengan WHO untuk mencari informasi tentang penyakit tersebut dan cara-cara pencegahannya.
Korea Selatan bahkan telah mengkarantina dan mengecek setiap orang yang baru datang dari Meksiko dan AS. Hal serupa diberlakukan untuk daging babi impor dari kedua negara tersebut.
Di Hong Kong, pemerintah melakukan pengawasan terhadap titik-titik perbatasan. Orang-orang yang kedapatan mengalami gejala seperti flu babi dibawa ke rumah sakit untuk diperiksa lebih jauh.
Di Jepang, petugas Bandara Narita yang terletak di sebelah timur Tokyo mengecek suhu badan setiap orang yang baru datang dari Meksiko. Pemerintah juga memeriksa setiap babi impor yang hidup.
Kementerian Luar Negeri Jepang juga mengeluarkan nasehat (advisory) agar warga yang hendak pergi ke Meksiko mempertimbangkannya kembali jika tidak benar-benar perlu.
Di Filipina, pemerintah meningkatkan pengawasan di pelabuhan untuk mencegah masuknya daging babi impor dari AS dan Meksiko. Mereka juga menyerukan agar dilakukan vaksinasi rutin terhadap peternakan babi.
Adapun di Malaysia, orang-orang yang menuju dan pulang dari Meksiko diperiksa kesehatannya.
Di Indonesia sendiri, Departemen Kesehatan telah mengambil berbagai langkah antisipatif dan berkoordinasi dengan WHO serta Departemen Peternakan dan Departemen Pertanian. Namun sejauh ini belum ada pemeriksaan dan karantina yang dilakukan terhadap warga yang baru datang dari Meksiko dan AS.
Flu babi jenis baru yang merupakan kombinasi antara flu burung, flu babi, dan flu manusia ini telah merenggut 81 nyawa dan menginfeksi lebih dari 1.300 orang di Meksiko. Flu ini juga telah menjalar ke AS dan menginfeksi 11 orang dan diduga telah pula merambah Selandia Baru.
WHO telah memperingatkan semua negara di seluruh dunia agar waspada terhadap kemungkinan munculnya pandemi global. Pandemi flu terakhir kali terjadi pada tahun 1968 saat flu 'Hong Kong' menewaskan sekitar 1 juta orang di seluruh dunia. (sho/irw)
Berita flu babi saat ini menjadi perhatian dunia, Asalnya dari Babi yang Demam, Batuk dan Depresi
Menyebarnya juga sangat cepat, hati-hati dan waspada dengan keluarga kita.
Berikut postingan nya aku copas dari detik com;
Negara-negara Asia mulai mengambil tindakan untuk mengantisipasi menyebarnya flu babi Meksiko ke seluruh dunia. Beberapa di antaranya memberlakukan karantina dan pengecekan terhadap orang-orang yang baru saja tiba dari Meksiko dan Amerika Serikat yang terindikasi gejala flu.
Seperti diberitakan Reuters, Minggu (26/4/2009), pemerintah China telah mengeluarkan peringatan darurat dan meminta warganya yang baru saja pulang dari Meksiko dan AS melapor jika mengalami gejala seperti flu. Departemen Kesehatan dan Departemen Pertanian juga terus memantau perkembangan penyebaran virus ini.
Sedangkan Singapura terus memantau dan meminta seluruh petugas kesehatan waspada jika terjadi kasus yang mencurigakan. Pemerintah juga menyarankan warganya yang dalam seminggu terakhir baru pulang dari Meksiko dan Texas serta California segera memeriksakan diri ke dokter jika mengalami gejala yang menyerupai flu.
Selain itu warga juga diminta membatasi kunjungan ke Meksiko dan AS. "Yang mengkhawatirkan adalah banyak penderita yang sebelumnya tidak pernah melakukan kontak dengan peternakan maupun babi. Artinya penularan dari orang ke orang sangat bisa terjadi," ujar Menkes Singapura Khaw Boon Wan.
Sementara itu Vietnam telah meluncurkan sistem pengawasan penyakit untuk mendeteksi kasus-kasus yang mencurigakan. Pemerintah Vietnam juga telah berkoordinasi dengan WHO untuk mencari informasi tentang penyakit tersebut dan cara-cara pencegahannya.
Korea Selatan bahkan telah mengkarantina dan mengecek setiap orang yang baru datang dari Meksiko dan AS. Hal serupa diberlakukan untuk daging babi impor dari kedua negara tersebut.
Di Hong Kong, pemerintah melakukan pengawasan terhadap titik-titik perbatasan. Orang-orang yang kedapatan mengalami gejala seperti flu babi dibawa ke rumah sakit untuk diperiksa lebih jauh.
Di Jepang, petugas Bandara Narita yang terletak di sebelah timur Tokyo mengecek suhu badan setiap orang yang baru datang dari Meksiko. Pemerintah juga memeriksa setiap babi impor yang hidup.
Kementerian Luar Negeri Jepang juga mengeluarkan nasehat (advisory) agar warga yang hendak pergi ke Meksiko mempertimbangkannya kembali jika tidak benar-benar perlu.
Di Filipina, pemerintah meningkatkan pengawasan di pelabuhan untuk mencegah masuknya daging babi impor dari AS dan Meksiko. Mereka juga menyerukan agar dilakukan vaksinasi rutin terhadap peternakan babi.
Adapun di Malaysia, orang-orang yang menuju dan pulang dari Meksiko diperiksa kesehatannya.
Di Indonesia sendiri, Departemen Kesehatan telah mengambil berbagai langkah antisipatif dan berkoordinasi dengan WHO serta Departemen Peternakan dan Departemen Pertanian. Namun sejauh ini belum ada pemeriksaan dan karantina yang dilakukan terhadap warga yang baru datang dari Meksiko dan AS.
Flu babi jenis baru yang merupakan kombinasi antara flu burung, flu babi, dan flu manusia ini telah merenggut 81 nyawa dan menginfeksi lebih dari 1.300 orang di Meksiko. Flu ini juga telah menjalar ke AS dan menginfeksi 11 orang dan diduga telah pula merambah Selandia Baru.
WHO telah memperingatkan semua negara di seluruh dunia agar waspada terhadap kemungkinan munculnya pandemi global. Pandemi flu terakhir kali terjadi pada tahun 1968 saat flu 'Hong Kong' menewaskan sekitar 1 juta orang di seluruh dunia. (sho/irw)
Veggie Burger with Marinated Potato Wedges
I love homemade burgers! They're easy and tasty and you can adjust the flavors however you like them!
Makes about 4 patties:
1 cup of cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup small chopped carrots
1/2 cup small chopped bell pepper
1 mashed clove of garlic
1/2 chopped parsley
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg (optional)
1/2 tbsp of cumin
1 teaspoon of mustard
Salt & pepper to taste
In a food processor, add all the above ingredients except the egg and breadcrumbs, pulse few times until all the ingredients are incorporated together, the transfer into a bowl and add the breadcrumbs and the egg and fold all ingredients together. I like to refrigerate them for a bit, then form patties. In a non-stick skillet add about a teaspoon of canola oil (or any vegetable oil) or just enough to coat the skillet and cook the patties, few minutes on each side until done.
For the potatoes: (as much potatoes as you want)
Cut potatoes into wedges without peeling them (after cleaning them well). Marinate in olive oil, fresh thyme or rosemary or both, some garlic powder and some pepper. Let them sit for half an hour in a bowl or in a Ziploc bag. Then empty them on a baking rack and bake them in a 375F oven until golden brown.
To serve:
Cut a Hamburger bun in half and slightly toast it, then add on the bottom side, ketchup, then a lettuce leaf, add the veggie patty, then top with sliced onion and tomato and cover with upper part of the bun. Serve the potatoes on the side. I like it with mango salsa. It is a ready salsa that I buy, made of grilled bell peppers, mangoes, tomatoes and a lot of spices.
Hamburgers can be served in so many creative ways, this was a simple version. Caramelized onions are really good too instead of raw onions etc, etc...
Saturday, April 25, 2009
My Mums Roast Lamb
My huge miss in Korea was good Lamb . So when I got home I couldn't help myself and next week I have a whole day of learning to cook Lamb.
Full Irish
My Favorite Breakfast With Black pudding I talked before about it here
http://macs-foodkorea.blogspot.com/2008/05/soon-dae_27.html
http://macs-foodkorea.blogspot.com/2008/05/soon-dae_27.html
Week one in cooking school
Ballymaloe cooking school week one
Who makesChâteauneuf-du-Pape's top wines came to talk to us about wine and also let us try some of his wines
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,3584,00.html
Daniel Brunier
Who makes
Châteauneuf-du-Pape's top wines came to talk to us about wine and also let us try some of his wines
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,3584,00.html
Rory O Connell
the food
In class with Darina
The food
Around the school
My home right nowI would love to write more but I have little to no Internet and have no time I am extremely busy but will keep posting some photos
Friday, April 24, 2009
private blog
i've to private my blog
due to some reasons
- mama asked me to do so
- my friends advised me to do so
- and, thats da best 4 now
if u still wanna read my blog.
so that i can invite u guys
dont worry, i'll always read ur's
every1 that i've linked @ 'dearest sunshine'
thanks =]
strawberi chiffon cake
24 april 2009, kamis
Dah lama ga bikin2 kue nih..jadi pengen ngemil lagi dah..kali ini resep di browsing dari inet. Ini gw catetin lagi resepnya...
Bahan
50 gr strawberi jam
10 gr susu bubuk
30 gr minyak sayur
40 gr susu cair
70 gr tepung trigu
10 gr susu bubuk
1/3 sdt baking powder
3 bh kuning telur
Adonan A
4 bh putih telur
40 gr gula
sedikit garam
Cara
1. Buat adonan A, kocok putih telur n garam mpe putih mengembang, masukkan 1/2 bagian gula, kocok, lalu masukkan sisanya, kocok trus mpe mengembang, sisihkan
2. Kocok kuning telur, masukkan strawberi jam n susu bubuk aduk rata.
3. Masukkan minyak, susu segar aduk rata
4. masukkan lagi tepung n susu bubuk n baking powder yang telah diayak, aduk rata
5. Masukkan 1/2 bagian no 1 ke adonan no 4, aduk trus, lalu masukkan sisanya..aduk rata.
6. oven 170 derajat 35 menit.
Kuenya si enak, tapi kok ga berasa strawberi nya yak?? ato kurang banyak ???
Dah lama ga bikin2 kue nih..jadi pengen ngemil lagi dah..kali ini resep di browsing dari inet. Ini gw catetin lagi resepnya...
Bahan
50 gr strawberi jam
10 gr susu bubuk
30 gr minyak sayur
40 gr susu cair
70 gr tepung trigu
10 gr susu bubuk
1/3 sdt baking powder
3 bh kuning telur
Adonan A
4 bh putih telur
40 gr gula
sedikit garam
Cara
1. Buat adonan A, kocok putih telur n garam mpe putih mengembang, masukkan 1/2 bagian gula, kocok, lalu masukkan sisanya, kocok trus mpe mengembang, sisihkan
2. Kocok kuning telur, masukkan strawberi jam n susu bubuk aduk rata.
3. Masukkan minyak, susu segar aduk rata
4. masukkan lagi tepung n susu bubuk n baking powder yang telah diayak, aduk rata
5. Masukkan 1/2 bagian no 1 ke adonan no 4, aduk trus, lalu masukkan sisanya..aduk rata.
6. oven 170 derajat 35 menit.
Kuenya si enak, tapi kok ga berasa strawberi nya yak?? ato kurang banyak ???
Absinthe at l’Absinthe
April 24
Fox News and a Zen Buddhist temple are both on the same street as l'Absinthe, an old-school Upper East Side French restaurant that last night had a tasting of the liqueur after which the restaurant is named, the one that once was banned, ostensibly because of the thujone in the wormwood used to make it, but that was really hip among 19th Century Parisian artists and is now hip among hipster wannabes, but among some cool people as well.
I imagine the restaurant gets more business from the network than the temple, although I couldn’t tell last night, when before the 9pm tasting I had dinner with two of L'Absinthe’s publicists.
The restaurant was about half full, which isn’t bad.
We spoke mostly of simple things, like reality television, although as more people arrived and the Absinthe tasting began the subject moved on to other things, although I’m not sure what, because I drank something like six Absinthes, administered by our able server, Steve Bucheli.
I woke miraculously without a hangover.
What I ate and drank (besides Absinthe):
2006 Newton Chardonnay
Guacamole terrine with salmon tartare and poached lobster
duck foie gras seared with mango
2005 Hautes-Côtes de Nuits
pan-seared skate with pine nuts and capers, served with seared zucchini and confit tomato skin
braised chicken paillard with white wine and truffle
Apple tarte.
Fox News and a Zen Buddhist temple are both on the same street as l'Absinthe, an old-school Upper East Side French restaurant that last night had a tasting of the liqueur after which the restaurant is named, the one that once was banned, ostensibly because of the thujone in the wormwood used to make it, but that was really hip among 19th Century Parisian artists and is now hip among hipster wannabes, but among some cool people as well.
I imagine the restaurant gets more business from the network than the temple, although I couldn’t tell last night, when before the 9pm tasting I had dinner with two of L'Absinthe’s publicists.
The restaurant was about half full, which isn’t bad.
We spoke mostly of simple things, like reality television, although as more people arrived and the Absinthe tasting began the subject moved on to other things, although I’m not sure what, because I drank something like six Absinthes, administered by our able server, Steve Bucheli.
I woke miraculously without a hangover.
What I ate and drank (besides Absinthe):
2006 Newton Chardonnay
Guacamole terrine with salmon tartare and poached lobster
duck foie gras seared with mango
2005 Hautes-Côtes de Nuits
pan-seared skate with pine nuts and capers, served with seared zucchini and confit tomato skin
braised chicken paillard with white wine and truffle
Apple tarte.
BIRTHday surprised
mr shah! happy birthday again =P
we celebrated his bday a few hours ago.
KFC setiawangsa, 3:45pm - 6:00pm.
and also, miss maya upcoming bday.
almost 20 of us.
bday cake.
bobo & emma duk sebok buat assignment.adek penat menunggu.
reef & adek tnggu isyarat dr nora.
nora tgh tnggu mr shah dtg... haha
tgh tnggu mr shah naik atas.then nyanyi 'happy birthday' ramai2
yeayy!!! bday guy muncul.
sesi potong cake. hari ni. mr shah amat famous.ramai yg snap2 pics beliau.
pemotong cake yg excited.nora. adek. reef
ramai da x sabar2 nak mkn.
mr shah n his students.
miss maya yg terharu sgt sampai menangis.dear mr shah. sorry 4 da simple present.
n i hope that lil blue puppet, will always b by ur side.
tman tindih kertas dkt office ke? or tman driving ke. =P
haha. and. we hope u did enjoy da surprise bday party.
with dat BIGGG bday card!
thanks 4 everything
=]
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