Quatuor Manfred Recital

The Quatuor Manfred

Visiting Artist Series from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music benefited the general masses as it hosts several free concerts every month introducing different music instrumentations.

Today we attended our first 'live' string quartet with Manfred, one of the leading French quartets of its generation. I was looking forward to chamber music as it allows one to be fully engage with just a few instruments instead of the complexity of a full orchestra - learning to recognize each instrument for its distinctive sound and play techniques. 

Opening pieces of Hyacinthe Jadin's String Quartet in E-flat major, Op.2 No. 1 was particularly galvanizing as i got affix to the lead playing of the violin, it was captivating.. but after much 'strings' i start drifting and yearn for different vibration of sound. Think, a piano quartet...

Deepavali Gift of Sweets :)

Indian Sweets and Crackers

This box of Indian sweets was from Nic's neighbour in celebration of the Deepavali, or Diwali the Festival of Lights for our Hindus countrymen. It's the first time i see such variety of sweets as gifts, i'm impressed.

As these were locally home made, they tasted less cloying than what my colleagues bought from India sweet house - the Indian loves their sweets heavily sugared! And i came to appreciate that every races took pains in preparing traditional recipes of sweets, cakes and cookies for each of their unique festivities.

With main ingredients of raw rice, dal, nuts, rice flour, ghee and milk, i like the content of entire box while Dad preferred the crackers of Mullu Thenguzhal and Ribbon Pakoda to the Cheese Cutras and Ladoo ;)

Whittaker's Almond Gold

Whittaker's Roasted Almond Gold Milk Chocolate, 45g ($1.90)

I knew of this New Zealand chocolate 'gold bar' for as long as i knew Ric - it has been one of his favourite for the past 10+ years, but i've only had them today. Albeit the coarser finished cocoa, this mini slab is every mouthful of tight packed almonds! No chocolate bars had ever deliver such nutty sensation; it is very satisfying.

Hershey's finer chocolate bars were Ric's take these recent years but we both agree that Whittaker's Gold the memorable one.

Whittaker's 12 Mini Size, 180g ($7.15)

Towards end of 2012, Whittaker's market pack of 12 mini bite size chocolate, each weighting 15g; having exciting flavors like 'dark peppermint', 'coconut', 'peanut', 'hokey pokey', 'dark ghana', 'white raspberry', 'cornflake', 'almond & cranberry', 'berry & biscuit' and of course, the almond gold that makes it worldwide famous.

We like to savor these new tastes but will not repeat buy for the almond gold selection as the smallness of the 15g chocolate failed to gratify like the original 45g which was designed with substantial almonds.

榕城, another haunt for good Bak Kut Teh

Rong Chen at Blk 22, Sin Ming Road

My definition of a good Bak Kut Teh meal is simply make up of 1 primary bowl of sweet flavorsome pork rib soup that promises to nourish my body with a 'perk me' shake up. And often preferring the Teochew's lighter colored version of the peppery soup.

Bak Kut Teh Meal ($21.80)

It would be a bonus when the meal comes with appetite whetting vegetable pickles and side dishes option of soft gelatinous pork trotters or tender pig's liver; good service standard of constant topping-up the bak kut teh soup without having to ask for it.

Rong Chen is certainly good with its trade but my fave still of Ng Ah Sio; and we're always on a look out for the better or more - i love the warm soup with sweet rib bones ;)

Braised Pork Trotter

Blanched Pig Liver Soup

Fortunella - gave me my first wine allergy.

Fortunella Premium Sweet Red, 750ml ($11.80 Promotion)

After savoring the sweet red from Brown Brothers, i was keen to explore more of such sparkling red wine. The NTUC supermart happened to have a promotion for Fortunella of South Australia; it was cheap and so we decide to try.

Serving it chilled does not improve the taste of the bottle. We were disappointed with its bland sweet alcoholic tang. There was just a weak hint of vine grapes and the bottle gave us drying throat.

Being one who never had skin, food or medical allergy of any sorts, i was shocked that the drink tonight developed into skin irritations (Hives) on both my arms by the following day. My skin itches with claw marks and got bumpy after scratching it! What ugly arms! I was really shocked.

What saves? The Axe Brand Universal Oil.

It eases the itch immediately. And after just 3 applications, the allergy cleared.

Cereal Prawns with Eggs, 麦片虾炒蛋

My family love prawns and these were for my sister-in-law's craving albeit the smaller size prawns; bigness of the prawns would have been much enjoyable, really.

I done a slight addition to the previous recipe today. After Step 2 of deep-frying the prawns (refer earlier recipe here), i made scrambled eggs out of 5 beaten eggs with the red-orangey tainted oil that remains after the deep-frying. The eggs tasted superb.

It was set aside and added back to the wok together with the prawns in final Step 5 for a quick toss just before serving! That's it.

For the health conscious individual who abstain prawns, they could now taste this dish with just eggs, cereal and curry leaves. I'm not health conscious, i'm just lazy to de-shell the shrimps.