（鸡）不择食 : Chicken rice- Local delights in the comfort of home

Ingredients:

For chicken stock and chicken
1 medium whole chicken
1 packet of chicken feet, nails and calluses removed.
2 large carrots
Half a head of lettuce
1 heaped tsp of salt (to taste)

For chicken oil:
2 tbsp Sesame oil
Chicken fat

Generous amounts of minced ginger
Three cloves of smashed garlic

For rice:
3.5 cups of rice
Chicken stock as required
1/4 tsp of salt (to taste)
Chicken oil

For sauce:
A knob of ginger chopped into matchsticks
1 tsp oyster sauce
1  tsp soya sauce

1  tbsp Sesame oil

20 ml of chicken stock

For sides:
1 packet of Beansprouts
1 piece of firm Tau Kwa, pan fried
6 pieces of fried tofu puffs, pan fried and chopped
1 tbsp of minced garlic
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
50 ml of chicken stock

Method:
1. Boil chicken feet and bones and chopped carrots in a big pot of water enough to fully submerge a whole chicken. Boil on high heat then simmer on low heat for about an hour. Add salt to taste.
2. Place whole chicken into the broth.
3. Bring to a rolling boil for a few minutes before turning off the fire. Leave the chicken to cook with residual heat for about an hour.
4. Remove from stock and submerge in iced water to stop the cooking process.
5. Fry reserved chicken fat with two tablespoons of sesame oil, minced ginger and smashed garlic. Remove chicken fat.
6. Add chicken stock into rice, a dash of salt and the chicken oil with ginger and garlic. 
7.  Bring the remaining chicken stock to a boil and blanch chicken with the soup to slightly warm up the meat before chopping to serve over a bed of lettuce leaves. Drizzle sauce over the chicken.

For the sides:
1. Add one tablespoon of oil and fry minced garlic till fragrant. 
2. Throw in beansprouts and stir fry on high heat.
3. Add in oyster sauce and chicken stock and stir fry.
4. Add in pan fried tau kwa and fried tofu puffs and stir fry to mix thoroughly with sauce. 

From our kitchen to yours,

Brenda x

Clarity in keeping focused

This was clarity. After all the soups I've boiled, this was by far the clearest pot. 

This was a medium sized chicken, chicken breast used for poached chicken slices on soba.

The thigh and the wings were used for sesame oil chicken.

Which leaves the neck, ribs and feet, aside from all the bones reserved.

So I blanched those, chopped up some carrots, corn and red dates and threw them all into my inner thermal pot for a fierce boil before I added a tablespoon of salt (4- 4.5L of water) and transferred it over to the outer pot to cook in its reserve heat for about 1.5 hours. 

And there we have it, chicken soup for the soul. Clarity in keeping focused. 

From our kitchen to yours,

Brenda x

joe & dough

Nothing like a coffee date for a Sunday break.

Flat white ($5.30)

It was decent.

But not for a pick-me-up.

It could've really used a stronger shot of coffee.

Teriyaki Chicken ($7.80)

The chicken chunks were well marinated in teriyaki sauce, juicy and tender to the bite.

The zucchini was fresh with a crunch that took away the little greasiness of chicken fat.

And the pineapple chunks were a surprise addition, 

lending a natural sweetness to this sandwich.

Bacon Mushroom Melt ($8)

This was a bun with slight sweetness.

Which was a perfect contrast to its savoury fillings.

The bacon wasn't fatty nor fried to a crisp.

Of course. The portobellos.

The earthy flavours nicely balanced the strong flavours of bacon and mozza melts.

I would be biased in my love of mushroom to say that this was my preferred choice.

But otherwise, speaking on an entirely impartial stomach,

there's an equal chance of my second order for both sandwiches.

Happy campers :)

Cheesy Bites Trio Pizza Pre-launch Party Invitation

                         Growing up as a Pizza Hut fan and now blogging as a Pizza Hut fan.

And maybe this post might just make you a convert!

This was my second bloggers' exclusive pre-launch party preview. We were promptly ushered to our seats and presented with the menu for a drink order.
Customer service that touches your heart.
My brother was very thankful for a drink after our mad rush through the working crowd on a rainy night.

                A lychee green tea on my recommendations, was a refreshing treat for his senses.

Shortly after,

we were served the Hut's Platter.

Perfect for sharing.

Even if my brother was abstaining from deep fried items.

That's just the perfect excuse to polish off all the spicy chicken drumlets.

Sigh...

                                            I'm kidding. See? We're still happy siblings.

Because that just means more fries for me!

With barbecue cheese sauce.

Even he couldn't resist sneaking a couple of fries. :)

And what I love about the previews at Pizza Hut?

You get to see the behind the scenes -making- of their new creations.

Even the toppings have standard measurements.

So you'll be sure you won't be compromised on the quality and quantity of ingredients on your pizza.

What a burst of pretty colour! 

And in case you were wondering?

This is so labour intensive that they are selling only one standard size.

No large sized cheesy bites or the kitchen people would have a field day putting on dashes of colour on your bites.

And always the heart thumping action watching fellow bloggers battle it out with a challenge round.

But it was a friendly competition.

Who says girls always play rough?

Andrew must be a good teacher.

And now he has to suffer because his disciples have done well!

And boy, were they pleased with their creations. :)

And as a reward, they got to bring home the pizzas they made!

Aww.

  

If you always thought Pizza Hut was just good for their pizzas,

you'd be much surprised by their Hut's Chicken Steak.

A generous piece of chicken breast skin on, for maximum satisfaction.

The mushroom gravy and tomato salsa was also a treat! 

And there's more!

With a Seafood Parchment Pasta.

A deliciously spicy tomato based pasta with generous servings of seafood.

Be warned that it is high on the spice-o-meter. 

Caught on camera.

For using the camera.

And look what we have here!

The star of the night.

Oh we could hardly wait to pull these apart!

Black and white sesame mix had a brilliantly fragrant taste when you bite onto those little seeds.

And I loved the chipotle stuffed with cream cheese.

I'd skip the nacho cheese dip on this. It was perfect on its own.

Last but not least,

the parmesan.

That went perfect with the nacho cheese sauce.

Boy were we stuffed by the time we were done!

Oh yum!

If you haven't already gotten your hands on an order of cheesy bites trio.
Check out the dine in promotions at this link:
http://www.pizzahut.com.sg/dine_in/promos/CheesyDelight.asp
I've already told you why they only do regular sized ones ;)

The dummy's how-to-enjoy-a-cheesy-bites-trio guide.

And if you wanted to get your hands dirty in the comfort of your home,

check out their delivery promotions right here!

Indulge in double the goodness packed in one scrumptious deal!

                                                                      http://bit.ly/phdeliverysg

Happy Valley Seafood Theme Park Hotel RWG

Oh where oh where,

would you find

live seafood.

In tanks.

To pick at your fancy...

On top of a mountain? :)

These grass prawns.

Are scrambling all over each other.

EAT ME.

I'm superbly fresh.

I mean,

them.

Not I of course.

Claypot beancurd with seafood.

Big on ingredients.

And I mean for both the former and the latter.

Fried slices of garoupa.

Thick slices.

But these were battered.

I'd rather just have them plain and simple.

Plum sauce chicken.

This was a specialty

And rightfully so.

Satisfyingly huge portion.

Crispy battered skin on.

And they were skimping on the chicken either. :)

Sambal kangkong.

Oh my yum.

Perfectly fried.

Wok-hei-ed.

And no traces of skimpy washing of the vegetables.

Crunchy.

Savoury.

Sambal-ed.

If you take vegetables.

Make this a definite order.

And these babies? 

Sorry to be cruel.

But you died amidst a lot of fanfare. 

We loved you.

Very much.

Steamed with egg

And another 300grammes in superior stock.

Nothing superior about the stock, believe you me.

But these cost us barely a little more than SGD 10.

Seriously.

To lo chuay?

So the pinyin is terrible for hokkien.

But.

Where to find! 

And that was a pre concert feast.

Emil Chau was better than we all expected. 

A pure two and a half hours of his greatest hits, his new releases, his change in singing perspective.

Just soaking in the electrifying charge of his fans.

I'm a convert.

First concert of the year with the 'rents and our beloved family friends.

It's been a rough week for us but they made it all better.

<3 p="">

Ming Ren Restaurant Genting Hotel

Mountain view from Resort Hotel.

I was never one to bother about "the view"

Till I had my first taste of the mountain from the comfort of my room. 

Takes my breath away every morning. :)

So this was where Dad hurried off to with reservations once we checked ourselves in.

Ming Ren at Genting Hotel.

Double boiled herbal soup.

Appetizing.

Very appetizing.

Kung Pao Chicken.

It was a little too sweet for my liking.

Potato pork.

This was just like comfort food at home. 

You need rice for gravy like this.

Lots of rice.

Crunchy prawns on a bed of delightful greens.

Threadfin or ikan kurau.

This was fish with a hearty bite.

Lightly salted gravy with slivers of chinese black mushrooms and minced meat served on the side.

Dad likes the fish simple.

I take the sauce.

All of it. :)

Perfect for a post dinner chill out.

Preferably with a live soccer match.

I missed the simple times with you. :)

Fern and Kiwi @ The Cannery + Five & Dime @ River Valley Road

The second day back in Singapore after the travel madness in December and I would kill to eat local food.

Except that my girlfriend just had her China project nightmare and would die if she had to eat anymore Chinese food.

She wanted pizza.

And so here we are.

At Fern & Kiwi at The Cannery in Clarke Quay.

Besides subtly sounding like a swear word,

it was a cute idea.

Fern and Kiwi.

The two most representative items of New Zealand.

I knew about the latter but didn't have an inkling about the former.

In any case,

as long as they were actual food offerings on the table.

I was easy. :)

So what is New Zealand food?

You've watched all those cows grazing on limitless and luscious fields of green right?

That's basically it.

Quality food untainted by the advancements of agricultural steroids and toxins.

It isn't hard when they receive the best in rainfall, crystal clear waters and mineral rich volcanic soil.

Their physical proximity to Australia would explain for their apparently choice of food but they have a traditional tribal influence from the Maori ancestors inherent in their cooking style.

Simple and uncomplicated.

So let's have some of them ribs, shall we?

The Classic Pork Spare Ribs- A Lone Star Classic as a entree came with 4 counts of ribs. 

My girlfriend had this on her previous visit and wasn't impressed.

Apparently, just four ribs could be stacked till they hit the top of the metal racks.

For what it lacked in quantity,

it made up in quality.

Coated with honey BBQ orange glaze,

the meat fell off the ribs in a thoroughly satisfying way.

The soft bones of collagen, the tender pork rind and juicy meat.

I love not having to fight with my food.

And on the waitstaff's recommendation,

we had the Aucklander with chicken meat as our pizza order.

More bread than sauce it's obvious from here.

The base was good but would've been better if it wasn't soaked through with the tomato base sauce.

It became so soggy that you couldn't possibly pick up a slice and murder it without looking like you actually committed a massacre with all that sauce dripping all over you.

All those flavours were rich and intense.

I love every fork of pizza that I had. :)

And they should be bringing you hot sauce and this uber cute sauce called Rocket Fuel or was it rocket sauce.

With raisins as a main ingredient, it was a thick sticky sweet sauce that was so addictive...

You really should ask them to take it away after a certain time.

And no, it shouldn't be taken away only after the meal.

*Looks disapprovingly at you.

I mixed both hot sauce and the rocket fuel together.

Hot and sweet.

Oh my yum!

And the service there was excellent.

Fun loving staff and we had a few rounds of checking in to see if we liked what we were having and topping up of water without being asked.

It might have been also that we were one of the two tables filled downstairs.

The dining/ bar area upstairs area wasn't yet open at 7pm it seems.

I was happy with dinner but my girlfriend was not impressed with their dessert offerings and not about to settle for TCC desserts so away we went to this place with awesome Nutella brownies.

She was bubbling over with excitement I couldn't bring myself to say no.

Welcome to the Five and Dime.

So chocolate yourself out guys.

Earl Grey chocolate tart.

I love all things Earl Grey and this was not an exception.

Thick and rich chocolate infused with the smell and subtle taste of Earl Grey,

topped with cinnamon crumble and a lonesome berry.

The crumble wasn't buttery enough for satisfaction but provided a distinction from just pure chocolate decadence.

Share this.

Or end your dessert here.

The nutella brownie with Fig and Honey ice cream.

So have the ice cream. And maybe two scoops of it.

Bits of honey and fig in a deliciously creamy vanilla ice cream base.

I didn't like those chocolate pop balls because they weren't -that- crunchy.

I'm really picky with dessert it seems after our Parisian adventure.

The nutella in the brownie was only evident on the top layer and well, that's just it.

I put a scoop of nutella on a slice of brownie cake.

Hmm.

Just a note though,

we realised too late that you could request for the brownie to be served warm and they'd very conscientiously put the scoop of ice cream on the side when it's served.

Maybe that would've impressed me more.

Stuffed.

Sent home a very happy girl.

These are what girlfriends are for.

Pig out, hang out, hearing out.

<3 p="p">

Double Sensation Pizza Pre-Launch Party

The pre-launch party for the Double Sensation Pizza was held at their branch in Funan the IT Mall. Tucked away in a corner on the third storey, we were promptly ushered to our seats and presented with the menu for a drink order. Customer service that touches your heart. 

A lychee green tea was a refreshing treat to my senses after a frazzled walk in the sudden downpour.

And there was certainly a lot of heart that went into the planning of this tasting session.

Fruitti Prawn Salad. 

Summer love.

Refreshing salad with the vivid colors of fruits and crunchy prawns.

Tangy cream salad dressing on the side.

I was perfectly contented eating this. 

Undressed.

Trio Chicken Platter.

I hardly think it's selfishness.

Let's call it honesty.

Good for one.

No sharing.

After getting some food to quieten down our growling stomachs,

we were introduced to Albert, the restaurant manager of the branch at Funan the IT Mall.

Us bloggers were brought through a step by step demonstration of the Double Sensation Pizza.

And what a treat it was!

I got to do a hands-on for the sauces and ingredients on the Double Sensation Pizza so believe me when i say that there were exact measurements and quantities for each of the ingredients on the pizza so you can be sure there's never a discrepancy between the amount of cheese you get on your pizza and the order on the table next to yours. 

Unless it was a flurry of hands... on a hands-on competition :)

Chicken Spinach Cannelloni

For a creamy treat that's less heavy on carbo loading than the beef lasagne.

Chilli crab baked rice

If you were looking for a taste reminiscent of the chilli crab that's uniquely Singapore then you'd be much disappointed.

But if you were looking for an Asian twist on the baked rice.

This would score.

Just as a personal opinion,

I'd rather have a half portion more of the soft shell crab and skip the crab sticks altogether.

It made for a fairly weird combination.

And if the waiting could get any longer...

This was a Double Sensation.

And oodles of cheese.

In all its glory.

This Christmas, Pizza Hut brings you double the joy with Double Sensation Pizza. 

The new Double Sensation Pizza comes with an inner crust stuffed with cheesy chicken sausage with smoked chicken and succhini on pepper alfredo sauce in the inner ring and an outer crust stuffed with 3-flavour cheese topped with turkey ham, mushrooms and capsicums on salsa sauce on the outer ring. 

Yes there's all of that in just one amazing pizza creation.

That's a mouthful of joy in every bite.

I'd even fight with you for the crust!

Roasted chicken leg with garlic cheese sauce

A generous portion of chicken.

With vegetables that were too overboiled.

And to round it all off, 

a platter of sweet delights. :)

I was all stuffed by the end of the night.

And I left with a thoughtful note and bag of love in the form of a goodie bag and a voucher for our hands-on attempt at the pizza assembly competition. :)

Treats like this should definitely be shared. 

Check out their Christmas Party Meal at only $58.90++ which is good for 4-5 pax with 1 Regular Double Sensation Pizza, 2 selected mains, 1 Thick Fries on Dips, 4 Soup of the day and 4 selected Sparkle drinks.

Order online at www.phdelivery.com.sg or drop them a line at 6235 3535 for their special online deals.

Share the love with a special one with a Christmas Bliss Deal at $28.90 for 2 persons with 1 Regular Double Sensation Pizza, 4 pcs of Honey Roasted Wings and 6 pcs of Mini Hash Browns available from now through till 1 Jan 2013. 

Or perhaps a Christmas feast deal meant for 4-5 pax with 1 Regular Double Sensation Pizza, 1 Regular Pan Pizza, 6 pcs of Chicken Karaage and 6 pcs of mini Hashbrowns at $40.90 available from 12 Dec to 1 Jan 2013?

Christmas comes early this year with love from Pizza Hut and me.

Eat well :)