Episode 14

Appetiser: Onion Bhaji

Main: Tomato Curry Chicken

Dessert: Cardamom and Honey Lassi

Forgot to take a picture! Just imagine a glass of thick, creamy yoghurt with crushed cardamom seeds, blended with honey. Looks gooooood......

Cooking Highlights

Potatoes growing

From the frying pan into the stomach

Freshly made bread to go with the curry

Lesson learned: wear an apron when whipping up Lassi

Episode 13

Appetiser: Salt and Pepper Squid Salad

Main: Pan-Fried Breast of Duck with Orange Sauce

Dessert: Ondeh-Ondeh

Cooking Highlights

Episode 12

Appetiser: Stuffed Peppers

Main: Veal with Moroccan Spices

Dessert: Strawberry with Caramelised Orange, Pear and Rasberry Coulis

Cooking Highlights

Nice portion of veal coated in a secret combination of Moroccan spices

The secret ingredients will be revealed to he who dares stick his nose into the spice jar

Rorschach Test Time... so what do you see?

Episode 11

Appetiser: Avocado Soup with Tomato Salsa

Itching to use the new hand blender so this was the result. Blended a couple avo's, mixed with chicken stock, topped with chopped tomatoes, garlic, onions, chillies. Eat this for serious garlic breath.

Main: Chicken Ballotine with Leek and Sundried Tomatoes

The Pièce de Résistance... Yummy! Also had some herby egg sauce to go with it.

Dessert: Ondeh-Ondeh

These are usually green, but didn't have any pandan leaves for the extra colour and flavour, so white they must be. Also had to improvise for the filling, used brown sugar instead of gula Melaka. Didn't quite achieve the "liquid sugar burst" effect...

Cooking Highlights

Flattened and prepped

Let's rock and roll

Twisting it tight so it doesn't pop out

They come in all shapes and sizes

Oh, I knead you...

Footprints in the sand, Handprints in the dough

Episode 10

Appetiser: Celeriac Latkes (potato cake) with Smoked Salmon and a Wasabi-Sour Cream Dressing

Main: Gnocchi with Meat Sauce

Dessert: Baked Alaska

Cooking Highlights

Main change for this evening was that the Guest Judge took his turn to cook :)

We've been taught in school not to judge a book by its cover - the same justice should perhaps go to this wrinkly, rough-skinned veggie, which may probably scare some people off as it is not particularly sexy to look at - the Celeriac.

It has a strong celery-like taste - no surprises there as it is just like its more famous relative (the celery) except it's the root crop version! Both are crunchy but have different textures, with the celeriac looking a bit more like a potato when sliced. A celeriac can be treated just like any root veggies - boiled, mashed, grated, served raw, in soups, or in a tasty treat in the form of crispy shallow-fried cakes.

I

palmistry, anyone?

fresh eggs

something about how a baked alaska is made here
and how to make gnocchi here

Episode 9

Appetiser: Apple and Walnut Salad with Balsamic dressing (served on the side)

Main: Pizza!

Dessert: Virgin Tiramisu

i.e. sans alcohol, unfortunately.

Cooking Highlights

(try not to be a tosser)

Episode 8

Appetiser: Smoked Salmon Carpaccio with Fennel Salad

Main: Baked Chicken Breast with Braised Fennel

Dessert: Cupcakes and Fennel Seed Tea

Cupcakes were store-bought this time. Too pretty to resist

Cooking Highlights