61

Thanks to all my beloved friends who celebrated my 61st birthday with me. 

On my actual birthday, Lee Ling drove me to MacPherson Road to eat crabs!  The crabs in Steamed White Wine was something to write home about.  The seafood fried rice was also fab. I might eat there again. 

In the evening, Eunice treated me to dim sum at Victor's Kitchen. Unfortunately, I was already (over)stuffed with crab.  We later watched a dance performance together at the Drama Centre. 

Yesterday, Serena bought me sumptuous sashimi at 千両 sen-ryo @ ION Orchard.  I haven't been there in ages.  I'm pleased to report that the food is still good.

Today's weather is still super warm.  I thought we'll be having a thunderstorm but the tangerine in the horizon foretold it all.  Joanne bought me a rather expensive buffet lunch in the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. Her mum sewed me a cute bag, which I really, really like.

Thanks for the love, everyone.  You make me feel so young.

Are you following Chilli Crab Kitchen on IG?

HAPPY MOMENTS

Happy times in the month of May 2015.

May 5, 2015 (Tue)

Woke up to a spectacular sunrise.  Ten years ago on this date (05.05.05), we moved into our current apartment.   Life hasn't been a bed of roses but that makes me cherish the happy moments even more.

May 7, 2015

Tryphena's friend sent her a carton of mangoes from Myanmar.  She could've saved them all for her family.  Instead she was kind enough to travel all the way to my office to bring me two mangoes!  This lady is sweeter than those mangoes.

May 8, 2015

Spotted a yellow bird in the trees outside our office!

May 13, 2015 (Wed)
Shared a chilled slice of Durian Cappuccino Cake from Goodwood Park Hotel with Agnes.  We snuck to the rooftop to enjoy this.  Some day, after Agnes goes back to the US, I'll be glad we found time to share a slice of cake and a happy moment.

May 17, 2015 (Sun)

Wai Leng took me out for an early birthday celebration.  We went to My Dining Room at Suntec City Mall for an awesome dim sum lunch.  The roasted pork was to die for!  After that we hopped over to Cathay Photo at Marina Square, where I splurged on a new camera lens.  I was wondering if Leng was going chide me a little bit but she told me, "If this is what you want then go ahead and buy it."  No chiding, no questions asked.  She's a true BFF.

May 22, 2015 (Fri)
Pain au Chocolat aux Amandes from PAUL. Thank you for spoiling me, Ken Hsu!

May 23, 2015 (Sat)
Late lunch with Lee Ling in Vivo City.  We sat down to eat at 2:30pm and hung out until almost 6pm!

May 24, 2015 (Sun)
Went to Sembawang for facial and bumped into Chew Ling!  What are the odds?

May 26 - 29, 2015
Time alone for reflecting and refuelling

May 30, 2015 (Sat)
Happy birthday to me.  Thanks, Mum, for the birthday ang pow.

Once you learn to cherish the little things around you, everyday is a happy day. 幸福, 其实 已存在我们平凡生活中。

MARBLE MAGIC

Lee Ling came over to my place for dinner last evening.  I made a cake.  

MOCHA O'MARBLE CAKE 

Adapted from Baking for All Occasions: A Treasury of Recipes for Everyday Celebrations by Flo Braker

Makes one 9-inch Bundt

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 tablespoon hot water

3/4 cup Hershey's chocolate syrup

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

260 grams all-purpose flour

130 grams cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

225 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature

300 grams caster sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup whole milk

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and place a rack in the centre. Lightly butter and flour a 10-cup capacity Bundt pan. Have all ingredients at room temperature.

In a small bowl, stir espresso powder with hot water until dissolved. Stir mixture into chocolate syrup; set aside. Sieve flour, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy and smooth then add sugar, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Continue to beat until the mixture is very light in colour and texture.

Add eggs very slowly, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until mixture is fluffy and pale ivory in colour. Add flour mixture in 3 - 4 additions alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing after each addition only until incorporated.

Transfer 2/3 of the batter into prepared pan, and spread evenly with a rubber spatula.

Stir baking soda into chocolate syrup-espresso mixture, then add mixture to the remaining batter in bowl. Without delay, pour chocolate batter on top of batter in the pan.

Bake the cake until the top springs back when pressed lightly and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out free of batter, 65 – 70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 – 15 minutes before turning the cake out of the pan.

Ms Braker tells us (in page 88 of her book) that the heavier chocolate batter will "flip positions with its lighter counterpart" while in the oven thus forming the marbling inside the cake. This is not true. Nevertheless, it's delicious!

I also made a cold soba salad and Lee Ling's favourite comfort food - the Shepherd's Pie. Thanks, Lee Ling, for being a willing guinea pig!  I wish you many happy returns, 肥鼠!