In Chef Mode - Cupcakes & Spaghetti Vongole

 I just had the urge to bake on Monday, so I did!  I cheated and just bought a pre-mix though. Haha...I baked lemon cupcakes with a simple icing.  It was delish! I'm not a cake person so one is enough for me. :) So satisfying to bake perfect cupcakes without having to measure the flour etc.  :P  Now...what else should I bake?

Spaghetti vongole with vodka sauce.  Looks like a lot but it's mainly clams.  Lots of clams.  Out of which, quite a few didn't open.  Garlic, vodka, clams and spaghetti - yum!  I love pasta.  It's so simple but yet delicious and it's the best thing to cook for a single person.

Review - Carpenter & Cook

Went to the soft launch of Carpenter & Cook, a cafe/ furniture shop started by Shen, Eunice and Phoebe. I happen to know Shen and Phoebe through my bro during my 2.5 mth stay in London in 2009.

 Check out the blast from the past! Doesn't the above look like a living room from the 70's or 60's?  So retro!!  That big clock is from London btw.

They've got lovely muffins that Shen bakes and they are focusing mainly on desserts and cakes BUT if you have a savoury craving, they have quiches too!  Below is Phoebs showing off the mushroom bacon quiche and (more importantly to her) the parrot on her apron.  Haha!

Above is a half eaten passion fruit meringue tart that is simply divine.  You MUST try this tart.  It's not too sweet, not too tart (as in sour) but makes a nice end to any meal.

I love love love the Singer sewing machine legs to the sink (as well as to some of their tables).  It's soo innovative and cool.  I want one!!

Most of the furniture is bought in London and Phoebe is the one who re-upholstered the chairs there.  Shen took up a baking course at Le Cordon Bleu and she's the baker of all those goodies you saw above.  They even have homemade jams, marshmallows and biscuits.

For that cool Britiania-ish retro chic, I highly recommend going down and just chillax.

Note: They only do private parties on weekdays.

Carpenter & Cook
19 Lorong Kilat
#01-06
Singapore 598120

You can like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/carpenterandcook or follow them on twitter @carpenterncook

Food Review - Lao Ban Soya Beancurd

Finally managed to get my hands on the one and only LAO BAN SOYA BEANCURD!!  This store is the one that started the whole craze for silky, creamy and smooth soya beancurd that you can slurp with a straw.  The fact that it wobbles in the bowl is enough to make you imagine how soft and silky it is.

Thank you Gor Gor!!  My elder bro and his friends were having dinner at Old Airport Road Hawker Centre and one of them was willing to queue for half an hour in the heat for these babies.  :D

Now, I've also eaten the one at Old Army Market and people have told me that it's comparable to Lao Ban.  So...I've been very curious as to how the original Lao Ban one tastes like.  Unfortunately, I couldn't eat it on Saturday night, which was when my bro bought it, as he came home at 11pm.  Thus, the beancurd became my breakfast on Sunday morning.

First thing I notice was the skin forming at the top and the cracks that started appearing thanks to me moving the bowl around.  The thickness of the skin was probably due to the fact that it had been unrefrigerated for a couple of hours before finding refuge in my fridge.  Otherwise, the taste is almost the same as the one at Old Army Market!!  It's that same silky, smooth, Horlicky taste!!

I'm not a fan of queues so...I'll go to whichever is cheaper and has a shorter queue, which is the one at Old Army Market.  :P 

If you haven't tried either, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR????  Just go to any of the Lao Ban branches and Beanz at Old Army Market!!

Lao Ban branches:

• Old Airport Road Hawker Centre (Kallang Way)
• Maxwell Food Centre
• Raffles Exchange, B1 (Raffles Place MRT)

My awesome breakfast thanks to a muscle sprain

Haha...kinda long title but it's true.  I normally don't have time to cook breakfast for myself and end up buying breakfast from places near my office but I loooove scrambled eggs.  So, I've been given medical leave till Thu because I sprained a muscle that's next to my ab/ near my left ovary so my gynae wants me to stay home and rest.  No walking or carrying of heavy things.  He even cheekily said, "No shopping!" to me. :(

How did I sprain my muscle? I've been going back to the gym and I felt that my stamina was about 70% back to before so I decided to go back to the elliptical machine (the one where you look like you're skiing) but it was too soon.  My side started having muscle spasms while I started feeling sharp pains on my left side since Fri evening, which is still going on, if it wasn't for painkillers.  Thank god for my gynae.

Anyway, back to my awesome breakfast.  Hehe...I decided to cook scrambled eggs for myself!

My scrambled eggs are resting on turkey breast ham and a toasted bagel.  DELICIOUS!  Why don't they sell this in my office block?  Ok, Subway comes slightly close but their turkey ham is too processed while their egg has too much butter-flavoured thingy.  I bought premium turkey ham so it's 90% turkey breast meat that's cured to perfection.  My scrambled eggs only had milk, salt and black pepper which I scrambled over low heat - making it soft and fluffy.

Now...what should I have for breakfast tomorrow?

Restaurant Review - "Yomenya Goemon"

I'm sure most Singaporeans have heard of Pasta de Waraku and probably herald it as the first Japo-spaghetti/pasta restaurant in Singapore.  It probably is but it can't fight with the famous Yomenya Goemon (literally means Western Noodle Store, Goemon).

I decided to treat and console myself over the crappy less-than-ideal bonus and pasta has always been a comfort food to me.  Carbs. Lotsa carbs!! Haha...anyway, the menu at Goemon isn't as lengthy as Pasta de Waraku, which is a good thing because sometimes, having too many choices makes you indecisive.  I opted for their Half-Half Set which is 2 choices of spaghetti and comes with hot soup and a choice between a soft drink or dessert.

To the left is the prawn mentai (MUST TRY) while the right is a tomato-based sauce with minced pork and eggplant.  It was A LOT for me to eat.  Really value for money for the guys, I think.  Taste-wise, I really think that the quality is really good and their ingredients are fresh.  I love how every time (this is my 3rd) I eat at Goemon, the spaghetti is cooked to al dente perfection.  Yums!!  They are quite generous with the mentaiko, which unlike other places, comes as a topping for you to mix into the sauce and spaghetti.  I was very tempted to just scoop it up and eat it as such, so as not to waste any bit of the yummy fish roe.  But I resisted.  :)  I could do without the lonely pair of mushrooms because that particular type of mushrooms (I suddenly can't remember the name) tastes bitter if not stir-fried properly.  Would've much preferred asparagus or french beans instead.  I need my veg!!

I've also tried their soup spaghetti previously and it was a sinful treat as it was cream-based and came with a dollop of Hokkaido butter.  Try that if you're slim/ have high metabolism rate/ don't give a flying rat's ass and just want to taste creamy goodness.

I ordered the macha jelly dessert, which is extremely popular and is usually sold out before their other dessert, which is some kind of chocolate cake.  The bottom is macha (green tea) jelly and is topped with azuki beans, a small scoop of macha ice cream and a biscuit which is as light as a macaron.  Verdict: it's not the best macha dessert that I've eaten before but it certainly ends the meal nicely and cleanses away the oils from the main meal.

Their sets range from $16++ to $20 ++ so I reckon it's not too bad if you are looking for something that's mid-range and yet delicious.

Outlets:

• City Link Mall basement (City Hall MRT, next to Guardian Pharmacy)
• 313 Somerset, L1 (Somerset MRT, near Trattoria)

Oct 1983 Closing Down Sale

It comes with great regret to announce the closing of Oct 1983.  It has been my online baby for the past 2.5 years but it has been a struggle to juggle my full time job, tutoring and this business.  As such, 30 June will be the last day of Oct 1983 products going on sale.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank friends who've been so supportive as well as clients who helped keep the business afloat. :)

Good news is, I'm having a clearance sale of up to 50% off!!  So please help me clear my stock and get a good deal while you're at it.  ;)

Thanks and peace out!  www.oct1983.com.sg