Breakfast: Tomato Bruchettas and Vodka Strawberry Milk

Was shopping and saw Giant had this offer for French Loaf. It's around 1.99 so I reckon I'll buy one and make tomato bruchetta for breakfast. Then I saw that Marigold HL milk finally had strawberry flavoured milk, so decided to buy that as well.



First, we cut the french loaf into slices, it's easier if you use a bread knife, the type which has "teeth" at it's edge. Cut only the amount you want to eat.



Toast those slices of bread in your toaster or oven. Don't forget to turn them. As soon as they are crispy, it should be alright.


Meanwhile, prepare the tomato topping.

Diced tomatoes, chopped basil, pinch of black pepper and salt, extra virgin olive oil, a lil bit of honey and dried oregano.

Stir well and leave for 5 minutes to marinate.



Peel one clove of garlic. Like the above. We will use this to rub on those crispy breads...



Let them cool down before you attempt to rub or you might burn your hands :P




Rub rub rub your garlic on the surface you're going to put the filling. The crispy surface of the bread should cut the garlic and it will stick. You can even eat it now if you love garlic bread.



Scoop your tomatoes, I must admit I should had diced them smaller. It would had been easier to eat.



Ta daa~~ Tomato Bruchetta. At this point, you can shave some good quality cheese such as parmesan cheese or goat's cheese on top but I'm cutting calories. Of course, the cheese will only make it taste better!



What to do with the milk? So plain hor... so I added a lil bit of this...



Smirnoff Vanilla Twist Vodka. Ahhhhh .... What a nice way to drown those tomato bruchettas~ Nyum~~

KL restaurant review: Tan Tong Kee Restaurant

Around KLCC, there's this restaurant called Tan Tong Kee Restaurant that sells the most kick ass Ipoh sliced chicken hor fun. My friend highly rates the hor fun but I was kinda skeptical, I never truly liked hor fun soup, usually I like them stir fried or deep fried till crispy like the shikkai deep fried kway teow.

When I looked at the horfun, it looks like a normal bowl of noodle soup with a thin version of kway teow, with slices of chicken only. Hmm... how can it be tasty le?

Then when I stir the noodles, I got a strong whiff... the smell of fresh prawns, something you would smell from a very nice sambal. I looked at the soup, it's quite clear le, don't think they added sambal. When I had a taste, I was punched with the strong taste of prawns ..... oh my! This is the best hor fun I've ever tasted! The soup along with the smooth slippery texture of the hor fun sliding into my mouth was wow! Apparently, the boss makes the prawn oil fresh every early morning. It's the reason for the fresh prawns taste in the soup.

Their prawn wontons are tasty too. It's basically a whole prawn in every wonton. Tasty and goes well with the prawn oil chicken soup.

Look at the prawns in the wontons~ Yummy! I never got to trying the chicken rice yet, but perhaps next time if one of you readers got the chance, please take some pictures and share a review :)

Restaurant Review: Savy's Brasserie

Savy's is located opposite Standard Chartered Bank and on top of the old KFC(now an abandoned restaurant) at Bandar. If my friends did not tell me about it, I probably would never get the chance to try it. It's renowned for having great steaks and after my disappointment with Charcoal - I hoped this place would impress me.

The atmosphere at Savy's has this old style European look with brick red walls.

Seating and ready to order

Took two photos without flash. It's not too dark but dim enough to give you the old fashioned romantic candlelight feel.

The fruit in wine glass gives a nice touch as well.

I like their cosy looking white theme for their tablecloth and their lit candles re-enforces the European style settings. The waiters were very polite and greeted us warmly while handing us their red coloured menus.

The menus

Ah... What to order ah? So much choice

The complimentary breads

Balsamic vinegar and spicy oil dip. Slightly sweet, spicy and sour flavoured oil.

The breads were given after we ordered our food. It tasted fresh from the oven warm and the dip has a nice sweet and tangy flavour that goes well with the bread. We ordered three appetizers. I should had used flash when taking the photos, they did not come out very well.

The first appetizer was watercress salad, with sliced red beets, apricots, oranges and almonds. The salad tasted fresh with the citrus flavours and the almonds gave a nice crunch to this appetizer. Thumbs up.

Next comes the chicken liver pate terrine. I must say I was never a fan of livers but decided to give it a try. The bloody aftertaste of liver was not present but instead I was greeted with a strong sesame like flavour of the liver pate - kind of like tasting chicken with peanut butter. Yummy! Thumbs up for this dish as well.

Our final appetizer was stir fried mushrooms sandwiched between two crackers. This one gets my thumbs up as well. Overall the appetizers were pleasant and made me look forward to the steaks we ordered.

I ordered the rib eye with bernaise sauce. The rib eye is properly seasoned and cooked to my liking, I ordered medium. I really like the buttery bernaise sauce.

Beef T-bone Steak. Now that's a huge chunk of cow.

Rib eye with black pepper sauce. Overall the steaks did not disappoint. All cooked to our liking with a slight pink inside. Thumbs up for the steaks.

Beef shanks. The beef shanks were soft and tender, the sauce that comes with it is simply gorgeous. I would definitely order this if I come next time. Thumbs up. Now on to dessert.

Creme Brule. Taste ok but the small portion for such a pricey dessert? Don't think it justifies it. Thumbs down.

Crepes with caramelized bananas and served with chocolate sauce. An alright dessert. No complaints but no praises either. I wouldn't order this again for this price. Thumbs down.

Italian ricotta cheesecake. This I did not really like. It was slightly dry and on the cakey side, rather than the rich custardy texture of a cheesecake. Perhaps this is the way the Italians like it but I certainly did not. Thumbs down.

The wall setting makes a good background for photos

Overall service was pretty good. Waiters would constantly refill our water and made sure we had enough sauce for our steaks. After every course, they would change a new plate for us. The waiters were all very friendly, making the evening enjoyable. Of course, bear in mind that we pay 10% service charge so the service must be good, or they'll piss off the fussy customers like me.

It was quite a pricey dinner but I would certainly come here again. The atmosphere and warm service definitely scores big points for those who want to have a special evening with their loved ones or friends. I will probably spend more on their appetizers and main courses. Their desserts are alright but more on the pricey side and I can't seem to justify that price for their desserts.

Best foods for your skin

People spend hundreds of dollars to put expensive products on their skin every year. Don’t get me wrong, these products do help to promote a healthier skin. But what’s the point if you seem to put junk food into your system and deprive your body of the vital nutrients essential to keep your skin healthy?

Stay away from too much junk food

Here are some of the most important nutrients for healthy glowing skin and best ways of getting them in the KK markets.

Essential Fatty Acids

Omega 3s are essential to improve the skin by decreasing the occurrence of clogged pores, reducing the body’s production of inflammatory agents that can lead to skin damage, reducing skin dryness, improving skin elasticity and retains moisture to ensure younger looking skin.

Rich Sources: Salmon, However, Mackerel (Ikan Tenggiri) is a cheaper and readily available alternative. Just make sure it’s grilled and not deep fried. Walnuts.

Vitamin A

Involved in forming new skin cells, vitamin A helps keep skin supple and protects against dry skin. It also helps protect from aging effects of sunlight. It’s also good for your hair.

Rich Sources: Most fresh dairy products; go for a low fat yogurt. Carrots and sweet potatoes.

Vitamin E and Selenium

An antioxidant, vitamin E works with selenium to form a powerful action against free radical damage. It also helps the skin retain moisture. Premature wrinkles, pale skin, acne, easy bruising and slow wound healing are caused by lack of these two nutrients.

Rich Sources: Sunflower Seeds (Kuaci), Almonds, Hazelnuts and Peanuts for Vitamin E. Seafood such as fish and prawns, Sunflower Seeds (Kuaci), Mushrooms and Eggs for selenium.

Vitamin C and Zinc.

Both vitamin C and Zinc are essential for the production of collagen, the elastic tissue in skin that declines with age. Lack of zinc can lead to stretch marks, stubborn blemishes and dull complexion.

Rich Sources: Citrus foods are rich in Vitamin C while Zinc is abundant in sesame seeds, low fat yogurt and prawns.

Iron
Important for the formation of haemoglobin, the red pigment in blood. A pale complexion and dark circles under the eyes may indicate a lack of iron. Women usually suffer from lack of iron especially during ‘that time of the month’.

Rich Sources: Tofu, Spinach and Red Meat.

Of course, you also need to drink plenty of water, get sufficient sleep and also do more exercise. Learn how to relax your mind with Yoga, read a nice book or watch a good movie. These all help contribute to a better overall healthy skin.

The art of Mango Ketchup

Mango has many health benefits. Have a look at the following:

Health Benefits of Mango :

1. Mangoes contain phenols, this phenolic compound have powerful antioxidant and anticancer abilities.
2. Mango is high in iron, pregnant women and people with anemia are advised to eat this fruit regularly.
3. Mango is effective in relieving clogged pores of the skin.
4. It is also valuable to combat acidity and poor digestion.
5. Mango is high in antioxidant and low in carbohydrates.
6. Mango is a rich source of vitamin A(beta-carotene), E and Selenium which help to protect against heart disease and other ailments.

Besides being healthy, mango is a very versatile fruit for cooking.

You can use it to make a great guacamole for your tasty chips.

You can make a simple syrup by blending slices of mango with a tablespoon or two of honey. Drizzle on pancakes or on blended ice, topped with freshly sliced mangos and red bean on top...yum...

It is also very good for making sauces for your grilled chicken, fish and pork. I will put in two sauces using mango.

First up is the Thai style mango sauce served on a nice piece of grilled chicken breast.

What you'll need

* One over-ripe mango, cubed (softer and sweeter)
* One small chilli
* 2 tablespoon chopped garlic
* one teaspoon of ginger
* Juice of half a lemon
* Juice of one lime(kasturi)
* One teaspoon of honey
* One tablespoon of fish sauce
* Some chopped coriander

Simply put all the ingredients into a blender and blitz for 30 seconds. Then pour it over your grilled chicken breast.

Now many of my friends are fans of tomato ketchup. But once you try this mango ketchup - you probably won't go back anymore. Mango ketchup's awesome!

Mango Ketchup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. garlic, finely chopped
3 green onions, green parts only, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. chopped coriander
1 tbsp. garlic, finely chopped
meat from 1 ripe mango, cubed
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Tobasco sauce (vary according to how hot you like your sauce)
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, and let it get hot - about 1 minute.
2. Add the onion, green onions, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion begins to soften - about 3 minutes.
3. Add the cori, garlic, and mango and cook 1 minute more.
4. Add the lemon juice, tobasco sauce, and salt and stir to combine.
5. Let the mixture cool slightly, then transfer to the bowl of a blender and pulse until just pureed, adding water 1 teaspoon at a time if necessary to facilitate blending. (here I just use my trusty stick blender - very useful tool)
6. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.

Use like normal ketchup!

KL Restaurants Review: Porridge Base Steam Boat

We love steam boats! Gathering with a group of friends - dumping different types of ingredients into hot chicken soup or tom yum soup - then scoop them up into our bowls and add in our own choice of savoury or sweet sauces!

In Malacca, we saw the satay sauce steamboat restaurant where we use satay sauce as a base and we take ingredients on satay sticks and cook them using the satay sauce. Satay Celut Melaka

When I went to KL - I get to try this different type of steamboat. Instead of using soup, they use porridge as the base. The restaurant is called "BIG HEAD" restaurant - if you can read Chinese, you can read their logo.

Typical ingredients for steamboat.

We ordered two bases: One is Tom Yum Soup base which we see quite often in Brunei, on the other side, you'll see the Porridge base.

Nyum nyum~~ cook cook cook~

Tadaa~~ now to enjoy my porridge. The ingredients help to give the porridge - it gets sweeter and more fragrant as we dump more ingredients in. They also have nice condiments and sauces to enjoy with your steamboat.

Next time when you have a steamboat gathering with your friends, consider porridge as your steamboat base for a different experience.