THE CARVER: A HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

Too funny not too share!  Happy Halloween, everyone.

想旅行！

希望明年能有机会出门。

50 SHADES OF GREY

The haze is back, and with a vengeance too.  I'm all teary eyed.

PSI: 260.  Will it breach 400 like it did back in 2013?

It's a holiday and I'm keen to have my parents to try out the still fairly new London Fat Duck.  This morning they took one look outside the window and needed no convincing to remain indoors.  So I strapped on my mask and dived into the smog.  

The restaurant opened at 11AM.  I waddled in at 11:05AM to find the place packed, and a gaggle waiting to be let it.  Despite the bustle, the service was pretty decent.  I managed to place my order for takeaway at 11:11, picked it up at 11:41 and arrived home at 12PM sharp.   Mission accomplished.

It was exceptionally tasty London Roast Duck Noodle (S$7.80) and crackling on the Pork Belly (S$13.80) was to die for.  Well worth the dive into the haze earlier on.

MIDDLE-EARTH COOKIES

Somebody from the office journeyed through “Middle-earth” last week and brought back Whittaker’s Artisan Chocolate bars in a variety of exciting flavours.  

Not everyone likes white chocolate. Someone definitely doesn’t so he gave his chocolate bar to me. I turned it into a cookie experiment. 

I've to say that the new flavour - Hawke’s Bay Braeburn Apple with Vanilla White Chocolate - is rather odd.  I used salted butter and flaky sea salt in the recipe and they balanced off the very sweet white chocolate quite suitably. 

WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY MACADAMIA COOKIES   

Makes 20 cookies

115 grams salted butter, at room temperature 

55 grams light brown sugar 

50 grams granulated sugar 

1 large egg, at room temperature, slightly beaten 

185 grams all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel (or whatever flaky salt you like) 

55 grams Braeburn Apple with Vanilla White Chocolate, coarsely chopped

80 grams sliced dried cranberries 

60 grams toasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped   

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.   

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy and smooth then add the sugars. Continue to beat until the mixture is very light in colour and texture.   

Beat in the egg a little at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir the flour mixture until combined, then mix in the chopped chocolate, dried cranberries, and chopped nuts.   

Cover and chill the batter until firm. (I like to let it rest overnight.)   

To bake the cookies, preheat your oven at 180 degrees C. Line two baking pans with parchment paper.   Form the cookie dough into rounds about the size of a large unshelled walnut. Place the mounds evenly spaced apart on the baking pans, and press down the tops to flatten them so they are no longer domed and the dough is even.   

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, rotating the baking pans midway during baking, until the cookies are slightly browned.

Leave the cookies in the pans for about 2 minutes to firm up a bit, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 

Enjoy!

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关于筷子的典故

有沒有人发現在日本餐桌上 筷子都是横放在自己与食物的中间呢？

据说是因為日本人认为万物皆有神...

每个食物都有代表的神庇佑

橫放的筷子則象征了人与神的界线

用餐前先說句：itadakimasu（承领 ／I humbly receive）

先谢谢上天恩賜

才把界线拿走

用感恩的心享用眼前的餐点。

文和图取自 NATURAL KITCHEN