MYMCA World Play Day 2012


My favourite shot of the day.

MYMCA World Play Day's theme for this year was 'Down Memory Lane', featuring past, present and future games to accommodate the young and old and to create a time for some family bonding!

It was the start of June holidays - or so they say, study break for JC-ians - and I woke up feeling a little grumpy that I have to travel all the way to Kallang Leisure Mall to cover for MYMCA World Play Day for my photographic club. So with not much expectation and a little part of me brooding over the thought that I could have a quieter and lazier Saturday, I got there... a little late heh.

However, to cut a long story short, I saw and experienced the simplicity of joy. The games planned for the young old were neither sophisticated or elaborate in either ways yet it brought hours of joy and thousands of smiles to the faces of many. I was amazed and thankful that I went for this event and had the opportunity to be a photographer there because it just means that I have to keep an eye out for details and to observe my surroundings more carefully in order to acquire better photos.

Below are the other shots that I personally like out of all the shots I took and edited of the event, you can view the other photos on my facebook album.(: 

Best Chocolate Cake : A Birthday Dedication

5 years ago, we have never met each other, let alone know each other. 4 years ago, we would never have known each other had we not enrolled into the same school and been assigned to the same class. 4 years on now and who would have thought we would have still be in the same school though belonging to different classes but our friendship still going strong.

Ask me how I met my best friend in secondary school, I forgot. Question me what's a few of his favourite things, I could name a few. But only a few. Demand to know if I cherish this friendship, yes I do.

Needless to say, this post is special and, this cake's a keeper.

Happy birthday bro, I hope you do treasure our friendship as much as I do. I like the way you share things ever so generously; I like how we have so much common grounds and we could just talk nonsense; I like the way we roll - doing the things we love and looking at every avenue possible to 'lepak' (malay word for chill).  Wishing you a very blessed birthday!
Ever since my schoolmates found out my love for baking, I've been pestered to bake and a cake would appear on most of my classamtes' birthdays. I'm not complaining though, since these are such good opportunities to hone my baking skill and to try out bookmarked recipes. Brilliant. People often say photography is an expensive hobby. But oh, wait till they try baking and sourcing for excellent ingredients because they appreciate the quality of their baked goods. Coupled with food photography? I'm a man on the verge of bankruptcy.

I was contemplating on a tiramisu cake but couldn't figure out where to get the liquors required so I went for a chocolate cake instead. Verdict? Best decision ever made.

Moist and not overwhelmingly chocolatey, this cake is divine. I suppose it's only right and not too demanding of me to ask that it comes out tasting like heaven in a cake tin since it has been raved about by many and garnered over a thousand plus positive reviews on epicurious.com.


Double Chocolate Layer Cake
Adapted from Gourmet, March 1999 

*I'm going out on a limb to say that this cake should be on every baker's repertoire if he or she is either a chocolate cake lover themselves or baking for someone who appreciate chocolate cakes. The cake stayed moist and would crumble away in your mouth just the way it should. However, I don't recommend you following the ganache frosting as I felt it didn't complement the cake very well. I would glaze the cake with a simple milk chocolate ganache and top with some pretty looking chocolate curls.

  
For cake layers

3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut (I Used Lindt 70%)
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used Canola oil)
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting and filling
1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Special equipment: two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans

Make cake layers: 

Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. 

Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.

Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Make frosting: 

Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.

Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency). I found that stirring this over a bowl of ice water did a great job of cooling it off quickly and evenly.

Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Nigel · Eats Facebook Page

At last, a Facebook page for Nigel · Eats.

I couldn't have done it without you guys. Witnessing the power of utilising social media as a platform to raise awareness of blogs, social issues, current affairs and many others, I would be foolish not to create a Facebook page for Nigel · Eats heh. So 3 days ago, I finally got down to business and set my heart on establishing a page for you and my beloved food blog.

I have set down a few objective for myself when I created the page. I promised to update the page regularly with never seen before photos instagram, new posts on my blog and not yet published sneak previews. I truly hope to be able to do so and I hope to garner your support for this. You can do so by pressing the 'like' button at Nigel · Eats' Facebook page.

This post is a small shout out to excite my readers, you guys, that a facebook page is up and running so I'll just keep it short, simple and sweet. Do stay tune for more updates!  

Fong Kee Roast Duck : Wonderfully Roasted Char Siew

How do you know if a dish is good? It's delicious. How do you deem if a dish is very good? It makes you crave for it ever so often. Then how do you know if a dish is great? It blows you away. Then Fong Kee's char siew rice is very good.

Look at the photo, you get what I mean. -smiles-

My friends and I were planning on eating at the nearby hawker centre but lucky us, we passed by this coffee shop and this stall caught my eye. I was so glad I stopped for this that day. This was my second trip back and it is as delicious as ever. Slightly charred, beautifully caramelized and wonderfully tender, this char siew is so good. The sweet gravy that is slathered generously over the char siew binds it all together. If you are like me, who enjoys the Singapore version of char siew that is on the slightly sweeter side of life, then you can look forward to this plate of char siew rice.
 This char siew stays wonderfully tender because it has a thin layer of fat surrounding it. Not to worry though, it just a really thin outer layer of fat and not arteries clogging blocks of fats. I've tasted better char siew but if you're in the neighbour, swing by for a meal and you might just found yourself craving for it again. You can head over to Creamier Handcrafted Ice Cream & Coffee, just round the corner, for desserts when you're done!

Fong Kee Roast Duck
Blk 124 Lor 1 Toa Payoh
#01-459
8am to 8pm
Closed on Thursdays
62515192

Creamier Handcrafted Ice Cream & Coffee

What beats a scoop of ice cream in the scorching sweltering tropical weather? Nothing. Coupled with waffles and a drizzle of chocolate, honey and a dust of icing sugar? Perfect. 

Creamier's nestled in the neighborhood of toa payoh and is just the perfect hideout if you want to shy away from the crowd. 

Creamier stays true to its name by serving up creamy and delicious scoops of ice cream, uncommon flavours too such as Salted Gula Melaka.  

Called out by vanilla, tugged by chocolate. The specks of vanilla beans were so tantalising but I decided to go with the good old plain chocolate instead. No regrets, for it was rich, creamy and chocolatey. Not on the overly sweet side, just right on the palate, very nice indeed. 

My friend had waffles topped with strawberry cheesecake ice cream. I felt the cheese flavor could be more pronounced, but it was good nonetheless. 

Small ventures like these usually thrive on the word of mouth; so go and give it a try when you find yourself yearning for some ice cream and you're just round the corner and remember to spread the love! 

Creamier
Blk 128 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 #01-835
Spore 310128
Tel: 6250 1476
Email: info@creamier.com.sg
Website: www.creamier.com.sg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/creamier.singapore
Opening Hours:
Tue – Thu: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Fri: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sat: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sun: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Jumbo Seafood @ Dempsey Road

I love Singapore; I love the food at home; I love Singapore dishes.

Food has become an quintessential part of our lives and national identity and we ain't afraid to tell people that, right? A well loved Singaporean dish is the chilli crab. You can find it in many places that are serving up crab dishes locally, including tze char stalls and restaurants alike. Jumbo has been serving up their popular signature chilli crab for years, winning praises from customers and clinching several awards till date. If you're hooked on to it, don't worry, packets of their chilli crab paste are up for sale so you can cook it in the ease of your home as well. Oh, and mop up the sauce with fried man tous, it'll be one of the most delicious things you ever did.

Hankering for something on the lighter side of life? You can call for steamed crabs. Freshly steamed crabs that were alive and kicking a few moments ago, you can't get anything fresher than this nor go wrong with this.
Slices of beef grilled to tenderness with an accompanying black pepper sauce. The beef is wonderfully tender and moist but as always, the black pepper sauce is a little overpowering.
Another Singaporean delight, Jumbo's rendition of mee goreng is - for a lack of better words - delicious with plump and succulent scallops and shrimps. 
Seafood fried rice at Jumbo is another crowd pleaser with the generous amount of seafood - strips of squids and shrimps - and executed excellently that you can taste the individual grains of rice distinctly. 
 The Golden Phoenix Chicken boast of tender pieces of chicken meat with a thin layer of outer skin fried to a crisp. Very nice indeed.
Being a member at Jumbo has its benefits and it was the month of April when we ate this a few weeks ago, my father's birthday month so we received a complimentary cake. (need to call one day in advance) Great mango cake from Bakerzin, I especially loved the mango mousse.

Happy birthday Dad! 




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