Potato and Lamb Moussaka

Okay, before you skip over this recipe entirely because you saw the lamb, let me tell you now that lamb is not currently not written into my budget either! I used ground beef and this recipe turned out just fine. Of course, I have no doubt that lamb would have made it divine!

Let me also add another note, this is a Greek dish, and it calls for cinnamon, which you can taste. If you have picky eaters, or if you're afraid that you can't swing cinnamon in a savory dish, I suggest either omitting it completely, or using chili powder or coriander as a substitute, you'll have a great meat and potato dish on your hands without having to worry about anyone turning their nose up!

Having said that, we prepared this, cinnamon and all, and it was fabulous!

Ingredients

Cooking spray

2 pounds peeled baking potato, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 pound ground lamb (or beef)

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1 cup tomato sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup 1% low fat milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

1. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Ad one-third of potato slices to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Transfer potato to bowl. Repeat procedure with cooking spray and remaining potato slices.

2. Preheat oven to 350.

3. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, garlic, and lamb to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lamb begins to brown. Add bell peppers, tomato sauce, salt, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, and parsley; cook 10 minutes.

4. Arrange half of potato slices in a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange lamb mixture over potatoes; top with remaining potato slices. Combine milk and eggs in a small bowl; pour over potato mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until top is golden and set. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield 6 servings.

ORANGE ROUGHY...vera cruz/puttanesca style..ish

i was so bummed...i lost light, the sun went down just as dinner was ready and i missed that yummy sunset glow...

BUT..this turned out great..i made it up as i was prepapring it..sauted french cut onion, sliced garlic and diced peppers in trace olive oil. then added the italian style stewed plum tomatoes...on low 'till heated through, then added the quartered kalamatas and capers...that was it..spicy hot facter was left to each his own...

as for the orange roughy...i kinda cheated and used a quick olive oil spray on the pan and a spritz of butter spray on the fish with some garlic salt...put on high heat as to sear a bit, then flip, cover the pan and turn OFF the heat...that was it...easy to serve...

fresh ALBACORE...

simply grilled with olive oil, sesame oil, a splash of soy and fresh S & P...

GRILLED TIGER SHRIMP...w/rosemary skewer

i was amazed at the flavor with the shell left on during grilling. i can't quit discribe it, but it was a PLUS ! i think they definitely need to be split for the BBQ flavor to infuse the meat, and makes for easey peeling...

Who says veggies can't be comforting?

Apparently I am a big fan of oven roasting, because this is also my favorite way to prepare vegetables. The come out so soft, so sweet, and caramelized. I LOVE them, and there are so many ways to prepare them. So here are my veggie oven roasting tips:

1. You can really roast just about any type of vegetable, even tomatoes (with garlic and basil, mmmm), but just be sure to combine veggies with the same firmness and that would combine well with each other. Root veggies, squash, peppers, mushrooms, and eggplant are some of my favorites.

2. Be sure to cut up all your veggies the same size so they all cook evenly.

3. Toss with olive oil, or butter, and favorite seasonings, even just salt and pepper will do. Rosemary, garlic and herbs, italian seasonings, pesto, even seasonings meant for meat.

4. Spread evenly over baking sheet and roast at 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until softened and browned. Time will often depend on the size you cut your veggies.

5. Eat them as a side dish, put in a sandwich or wrap with pesto, hummus or just mayo, you won't even miss your lunchmeat!

Laurent's cafe and chocolate bar...............the French definition of Chocolate

Laurent's cafe is really packed on a Saturday night but fortunately we're ushered to a rather big table for 3 on the inside of the cafe when a small group before us decides to leave after they're done. There's a chocolate room inside the cafe. Laurent Bernard is a chocolatier after all! Laurent's cafe and chocolate bar was previously known as The Chocolate Factory. This is where we can taste the French's defnition of ..........hmm........Chocolate.

.......the chocolate room right at the end.

My wife and I had a nice experience picking and choosing inside the chocolate room in another occasion. We were accompanied by a chocolatier who introduced us to the different types and taste of chocolates that they make. A small piece of the chocolate is about S$3.

Last night's desserts that I have with my wife and a friend;

1) Strawberry souffle - The nicely baked egg white mixed with the strawbery sauce is quite a good treat for the palate. Takes 20 mins to prepare

2) Creme Brulee - The burnt sugar on top has a faint taint of orange.

3) Valrhona warm chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream - I think anything chocolate here easily makes the cafe's hot list. The hot chocolate ooze out when you cut into this cake. This is marvelous! Takes 20 mins to prepare

Drinks we had : a latte, a frapucino and a classic hot chocolate. The hot chocolate taste nice and milky, a more refined form of hershey's hot chocolate. I was expecting something like the thick cocoa that I had in Barcelona at Cacao Sampaka (a popular chocolatier in Barcelona).

I checked out the menu and they have a little list of bubblies that can go with their chocolate. Their Veuve Cliquot Brut is not too expensive at S$110 per bottle considering that a bottle you get from DFS is already S$90+

This is a nice place to people watch during the weekends. For a cafe with relaxed ambience which is most of the time packed, do not expect prompt service from the 4 waitresses. Service is pretty alright once you've caught one of their attention.

They have a newer cafe at Portsdown Road, near to Klee and Piestasantra.

Cost : S$60 for 3 people.

Address : 80 Mohamed Sultan Road #01-11 The Pier on Robertson Quay

Tel : +65 623 9007

Country : Singapore

Website : http://www.thechocolatefactoryonline.com/boutique.htm

OPAH.....

simple kabobs...

Pumpkin Pie Tartlets

Baked in a mini muffin pan

Baked in tartlet pans, which I found at Bed, Bath and Beyond for o.59 cents each. Aren't they pretty!

I LOVE these mini tarts, and I'm sure you've noticed. The coolest thing about them is that there are countless things you can do with them, and they are a great way to entertain. They are small, can be eaten with fingers and they aren't messy.





You can really turn just about any pie into a tartlet, you just have to moderate the cooking time a little, which isn't hard, just keep an eye on it. Since it's fall, I wanted to see how mini pumpkin pies would turn out. I found a very basic pie recipe, bought a pie crust and whipped cream, and they turned out pretty good. They do take some time, but they're kind of fun, and not hard at all.

When choosing your pie recipe, you will have to decide how many you want to make, because with just one pumpkin pie recipe, I was able to fill four pie crusts worth of tartlets! So if you are only feeding a small crowd, you may want to half the recipe, or save the filling for another time in the near future. I am going to put the entire recipe on here, since my math is awful and I know I would end up giving wrong measurements, so just keep that in mind!

4 refrigerated pie crusts (most boxes have to crusts in them)
1 15 ounce can pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 slightly beaten eggs
3/4 cup half and half, light cream, or milk

Spray mini muffin pan, or tartlet pan. Unroll pie crust and using rolling pin, roll out until pie crust is almost twice the size. Using the rim of a glass, or biscuit cutter, cut out circle big enough to fit muffin cup. Lay pie crust circle in flour side down and shape to fit pan.

For filling, in a medium bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add eggs; beat lightly with a fork just until combined. Gradually add half-and-half; stir until combined.

Using a ladle, or a cup with a spout, pour filling into muffin cups, fill 2/3 of the cup. Bake at 375 for 25 to 35 minutes, or until crust is brown, and a toothpick comes clean from the filling.

Hu Tong 胡同 ............... Tsim Sa Tsui, Hong Kong

This is a Chinese restaurant, under the Aqua Restaurant Group, that serves Northern Chinese cuisine with a contemporary twist. It is at the top of 1 Peking Building with a view facing the Victoria harbour, looking directly at the Hong Kong Island. On one occasion, I was having dinner here with my wife and my parents during New Year's Eve of 2004. We can have the whole view of the laser show display over the Hong Kong Island skyline. Magnificent!

The following 2 dishes are "Must Tries". I've ordered them for the 3 times I've been there.

............... Soft Shell Crab with Szechuan Red Pepper 大红灯笼高高挂. This is a dish not for the faint hearted! Prepare to have swelling lips if you are not accustomed to chilli.

........Crispy de-boned lamb ribs in Hutong Style 京城羊肉. The lamb dip in the sauces provided is heavenly!

Top notch service at this place! The waiters here proactively pours your Chinese tea without having to wave at them.

Cost : about S$650 for 4 people (excluding wine)

Address : 28 Floor, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sa Tsui, Hong Kong

Country : Hong Kong

Website : http://www.aqua.com.hk/

Coconut Bread

Hey guys! I've been slow to post, but I have been making quite a few great things that I think you'll love, so give me a day or two and I will be posting a lot more.

I made this recipe just today for an enrichment activity centering around all things bread. We were instructed to bring one bread dish with accompanied recipe to share. After lots of careful consideration, I went with the easiest option, to make something requiring ingredients that I already had! So I made coconut bread, and it was yummy. Of course, in my opinion, anything with coconut is divine. I understand that there may be an even delicious-er coconut glaze that could be drizzled atop the bread, so if I get my hands on that, I'll be sure to offer an update *wink*!

Coconut Bread

2 cups sugar
¾ cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 tsp coconut extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs and extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, stirring just until moistened. Fold in coconut and walnuts.

Pour into two greased 8-in by 14-in by 2-inch loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 60-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

*If you don't have buttermilk on hand (who does), you can easily make your own. Just combine one tablespoon lemon juice with one cup of milk and let sit for ten minutes to thicken. EASY!

Keitt Mangoes: Favorite Things

Last year in the steamy Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden of South Florida I tasted about 15 different types of mangoes. I discovered that some are sweet, while others are tangy and refreshing. Some have subtle floral aromas, others have hints of citrus, spice, even nuts as well as tropical fruit. The world of mangoes is luscious and delicious to explore and I was one enthusiastic taster!

While most mangoes in the US are grown in Florida, there are some grown in California like the organically grown Keitt. It's in season and in stores until the end of October and you don't want to miss it. The Keitt is one of my favorite mangoes, it's green on the outside and very large with a particularly thin seed. While more expensive than some mangoes, I think they are still a good value because they yield a ton of fruit. I recently had one that was almost 2 pounds and yielded several cups of diced fruit, 2 or 3 times as much fruit as a typical mango.

The delectable Keitt has no fiber, a buttery juicy texture, vanilla aroma and a delicate peachy flavor. If there was ever a melt-in-your-mouth mango, the Keitt is it. One serving provides over 75% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C and 25% of Vitamin A. Pick Keitt mangoes that are still a bit firm with no soft spots. The fruit is delicious on it's own, but even better on top of pancakes, crepes, in fruit salad or salsa. More tips on using mangoes, here.

Sunday Afternoon Tea @ Ritz Carlton Chihuly Lounge ................. for Sunday chill out afternoon tea

The Chihuly Lounge at the Ritz Carlton used to be a night chill out place where my group of friends would gather to chat up the week's event. The lounge is nicely furnished with several plush sofas and low coffee table combi for the casual gatherings and there are also some upright chairs with coffee tables for the business clienteles.

This Sunday, we can hardly find a decent high tea venue that do not serve the bubblies (sparkling wine, Champagne) and we finally decided upon just an afternon tea at the Chihuly Lounge. The impeccable Ritz Carlton service is still there and the ambience was relaxed, especially with the soothing music played by the Jazz band in the lounge. We weren't expecting something out of the ordinary for tea apart from some simple cakes and pastries to go with the tea served in proper English tea set and strainer coupled with lemon and honey,(without the need to ask for them). I wasn't being pompous but this is actually minimum standards for tea at Ritz Carlton. This hasn't changed over the years.

When we arrived at the lounge, we decide to take the Sunday Afternoon Tea buffet. The spread is not overwhelming but as relaxed as the mood in the place. There's one section where the savoury food were presented.

There were many different mini burgers ...........

....... the Thai fish cakes with Thai sauce

........ the vegetarian wrapped with Thai sauce

The other side of the lounge is where all with sweet tooth lingers.

Here's the creative mousses ..............

.......... the scones

........ I like this PI PAR GAO 琵琶膏 macarons

There is also a desert chef who is at the middle of the lounge making fresh pancakes filled with vanilla cream and topped with ice cream (raspberry, lime, strawberry sorbets and vanilla ice cream)

Cost : S$40++ per person (unlimited refill of tea and coffee)

Address : 7 Raffles Avenue, Ritz Carlton Hotel Millenia, Lobby

Tel : +65 6434 5283

Country : Singapore

Website : http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Singapore/Dining/ChihulyLounge/Default.htm

grilled FRESH SWORDFISH...

just plain and simple...good olive oil (always important), kosher salt, fresh ground pepper..

done...

Tiffin Room at Raffles Hotel ............... Northern Indian Buffet

I think one of the best place to have North Indian cuisine with good ambience and service would be in the Tiffin Room. Food here is buffet style unless you call to order an full degustation menu that changes every week. There are many different curries at the buffet spread. I prefer the lamb curry and I thought that the lamb was made quite tender. My wife prefers the chicken curry. The curries here are not spicy hot as this place cater for many foreign customers. The free flow naans that were served goes well with the curries.

I have to give it to the Tiffin room hands down for the ambience, all high ceiling and air conditioned. After all, how many times have you had your meal in a building with a hundred years old history. Service in the Raffles hotel is top notch. It is not a five star hotel for nothing.

Not the best place when you consider Northern Indian food only. However, with the ambience and the service, what can I say..............its a really good dining experience.

Cost : S$52++ per person (If you have the feed at Raffles card, its 1 for 1)

Address : 1 Beach Road, Raffles Hotel

Tel : +65 6431 6156 / +65 6331 1612

Website : http://www.raffles.com/EN_RA/Property/RHS/Restaurants_Bars/Tiffin_Room.htm

豪大大鸡排 Fried Chicken Cutlet .................. Shi Ling Night Market, Taipei - Taiwan

The best fried chicken thighs that I've eaten must come from Taiwan Shi Ling Night Market's 豪大大鸡排. Its big and its crispy! I'll usually like to add more chilli powder. At Shi Ling Night market near to the juntion of An Ping street (安平街）and Wen Ling Road （文林路）.

Cost : TWD 45 per piece.

Tel : 021-61252845

Website - www.haodada.net

Country : Taipei, Taiwan