Smell My Food™

Here's how it works

2010-09-29T09:31:00.001-07:00

Alright so this is how it works.

Every 5 episodes, there will be a theme ingredient to it.

EG. Rice (Fried rice, pilaf rice, bake rice, rice cakes, coke rice etc)

I will be needing your suggestions which can be found on the left hand side at the suggestion corner and from all of them, I will pick one to be featured in the next episode. You will then be invited down to my cafe to taste it or I will randomly ask a passerby/customer to try it(obviously we can't trust the people that are already at the shoot!)

And that is being upfront and personal to you!

If you feel that you can do it better than Chef D,

please raise it out and you might be invited down too!

Cooking is not about being professional, strict or abiding to every law.

Chef D's definition of cooking?

Fun, Mess and Passion!

So whether you are an aspiring chef or someone who loves to cook(though majority loves to eat!),

LETS HAVE SOME FUN COOKING!

Current Theme : Lets get CHEESY!

Chef D Premiere

2010-09-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

ADW on i-weekly magazine

2010-09-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

1 full page review of ADW! Check it out!

Guess who is back!

2010-09-26T01:55:00.000-07:00

Hello people!

Photo Credits to Calvin Timothy ( http://www.calvintimo.com )

Yes Chef D is back once again!

And this time, its going to be even more exciting.

Recipes, food pics will still be posted and whats more, I'll be posting videos on how I think that food should be prepared and cooked! Tips on storing food and many more!

Stay Tuned!

PS: Oh yeah, I've been running a cafe called Around De World - A Pasta affair in Singapore and yes! It will be my filming playground too! ^^

Sneak Pics!

My World

ADW Team

The pictures as promised....

2009-06-16T01:34:00.000-07:00

Alright, here are the pictures that I finally got from Dianne Mattsson the editor of " The Advertiser Newspaper". Feast your eyes....

Theme : "Life as an overseas student"

McLaren Vale Field Trip

2009-05-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

Alright! Its been awhile since i posted so this is gonna be a super long post! Alright firstly, you all know that Chef D is busy with his projects and as well as his upcoming major exam whereby there will be media and advertisers as well as SA Great(A group that promotes produce in South Australia) will be at that judgement and the winner will be featured in the Indulge Section of the Advertiser's Newspaper.

Its Field Trip Day here in Adelaide! We were brought around wineries in McLaren Vale, a place filled with tranquility and its unique wine varieties. So to start off with, we headed off to CORIOLE!

What a nice scenery to start off the day with the view of the local vineyards.

The food and wine sampling table that was set for us specially, The Le Cordon Bleu Apprentices!

Best 101 Wines from Australia featured in the Langton record. Harold the winery staff told us that the number of wines that are stated are fixed. This means that if for example a new wine is better than one of the list stated, that wine in the list will be replaced by the better one. So it will always stick at 101 Wines. How cool is that!

2 Wine Glasses, 1 Drinking Glass and the Welcome Card

Harold pouring a glass of Chenin Blanc for Tony, our Italian based chef. His best dishes I've tried so far got to be the sourdough bread and pork belly. Doesn't he look like one of those statue outside an italian shop with that pizza thingy.

The named 'King of Olives" - Kalamata Olives

Its not that salty like ordinary olives and it gives that savoury character to the flavour.

Salt Cured Olives - Not for the faint hearted.

This are preserved green olives, they have a fruity character to it.

This is somewhat like a cream cheese. Fairly similar to camembert in terms of flavour.

This is a hommus which consists of EVO, Cream cheese and a tinge of ASV.

This is a goat's cheese. Quite similiar to Brie just that its more earthy in terms of taste. Its like eating fresh soil.(Please do not try eating soil) Personally, I did not like it a single bit.

Redstone Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale 2006.

A cassis flavour to it with dark chocolates fragrant to the nose.

Chenin Blanc, McLaren Vale 2006

Pears fragrant to the nose with a fruity like characteristics to the palate that has sufficient acidity

Fiano, Mclaren Vale 2008

This is a unique wine as it gives a subtle and delicate flavour to it with tropical fruits like passionfruit, pineapples and pawpaw. Coriole's one of a kind.

1st Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This is a special olive oil as when the oil is first extracted from the olives, this gives it a spicy flavour towards the end of the throat. The freshest olive oil you can ever get.
For olive oils to be classified as extra virgin, the acidity level must be in between 0 to 0.8 percent and has to be free of defects. This is the standard global rule.

Vroom vroom! This is not ur Ordinary EVO!

Yes. Coriole named its Extra Virgin Olive Oil as EVO during the first production. So who actually made this name. Was it Ferrari or Coriole? hmmm.

This is actually your market's balsamic vinegar but in order to be termed balsamic, firstly, it must be made from a town in italy called Modena. Secondly, it is made from white Trebbiano grape juice that is heated and aged in wooden barrels for several years. Therefore, Coriole named it Red Wine Vinegar. It goes best with Olive oil and bread.

DID YOU KNOW : Balsamic in the olden times was used to treat the skin from disease and illness.

Vin Cotto, slightly similar to balsamic vinegar but its sweeter as it uses the vin cotto grape variety.

Verjuice, A non alcoholic drink that is made from unripened grapes. Fairly sour and acidic. Good for soups, sauces, cooking meat and even an apperitif.

The Wine Tasting Cellar..

Chef D and Harold

Next stop, off to lunch at Woodstock. We were treated to a Ploughman's Platter which was particularly new to me. Like come on! Who eats this in Singapore!

Ploughman's platter consisting of Pita Bread, French Loafs, Polenta, Duck Liver(Pate), Anti-Pesto, Brie Cheese, Olives, Chorizo(Spicy sausage), Turkey Ham, Watermelon, Olive Oil, Spices and a sweet and sour dip.

All I can say, it was a new experience and interesting adventure! Really!

After lunch, while walking back to the coach, something tragic happened!

A Croco ate me! Ok, just kidding. Everyone wanted to put their head in it but no one dared, so Chef D did it! *clap clap

Alright next on the list, off to Primo Estate! Please note that this winery is one of the top 10 wineries in terms of appearance and design. It really looked like an awesome estate! My future inspired home...

Fresh Olives growing outside of the estate.

This bell will come in handy for ordering!
"Ring, Ring, Make me a Milo Peng Pls!"

Like I said, The Top 10!

Award designs matches with expensive wines! $70 a bottle!

If I were a boss, this would be my morning attire ;P

5 years down the road...

Alright.. Enough of dreaming. Next its a number 1 top in the list for me. Its the Samuel's Gorge.

You'll know what I mean once you take a look at the pictures.

Upon alighting, we were greeted by this Golden Retriever mix Poodle dog named Brasso! Yes! He is like the same level as my groin. Real friendly and damn I must say, we spent most of our time playing with him.

Check out the Interior Design..

And off for wine tasting again...

Grenache, 2007 Cadenzia

Its sutle on the palette and has the fruity sweet character to it.

After about drinking 2 different wines which are the shiraz 2006 and 2007, almost dozing asleep to the serenity of the vicinity and the cool breeze,

Here comes my favourite guy! Its Justin McNamee! The Winemaker/Manager of Samuel's Gorge, born in Jamaica, he learnt the way of growing grapes and blending wines to make the absolutely best funky flavours!

Doesn't he look like one of The Simpson's character. A quote from him " Although I look like a hippy, I'm not one." And yes, indeed its true. He is a down to earth man that enjoys making wines and satisfying people. He believes that wines should bring joy and fun to the table while matching with the dishes. He specialises in making Tempranillo and Grenache and has a strong passion in them. He shares his secrets of growing vineyards as first of all is the type of soil. Different type of soils are best in growing a certain type of grape variety. Weather comes into play too and also he stated that the grapes have to be harvested during Full Moon as the grapes gives off its best flavours and aroma to it. He also uses the GPS system that states a particular section of the vineyard's growth and nurturing. Thus, it enables him to carefully track and send signals to the harvesters.

Personally, what I like about him is that he is willing to share his knowledge and intuitions. He even has his own personal laboratory that he mixes and blends his wine. He experiments with different flavours and records its down to make sure he makes the best out of his wines.

Suddenly, being my inspiring creative self, i asked him " Is it unethical to mix different wines since wines are drank particularly from a single grape variety?" He replied that there is no such thing as unethical and that wine should be fun. If everything has a set of rules and regulations, we would still be having World War 1 now. Given his reply, I immediately thought of mixing the Grenache 2006 with the Shiraz 2007 to match with our moroccan spiced lamb. My team members were happy with it and even Justin approved of it! Hah! Talk about the First Singapore Winemaker in Town!

Justin's Laboratory...

I wanna have a lab in my kitchen too! Experimenting the molecules of food as well as its texture, flavour and aroma.

Justin McNamee and Chef D

Quoted from Justin : "Ino nakano kawazu taikaio.." - The frog in the well knows not of the great ocean.

We were suppose to head to a chocolate factory but it was closed!

Oh well, it was truly an enjoyable day and i did not regret waking up early for this meaningful trip! ( I had like 4 hrs of sleep)

Next up: Dessert Recipe....

Final Exam or Stardom

2009-05-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

Alright so I have been busy completing my presentations and assignments.
Plus I have a major judgement day coming up whereby we have to present a 3 course meal using South Australian produce(this is being read as pral-deuce).

So Here's what we thought of:

Entree

Tempura Fried Pesto infused Kangaroo Island Marron accompanied with Shell Bisque

Main

Moroccan spiced Lamb Ribs in a Red Wine Vinegar Reduction with Sauteed Broccoli and Chad Potatoes in Buttered Pine Nuts

Dessert

Roti 'Bomb' with Caramelized Apples and Fraise Ice Cream, topped with Almond Tuiles

I'll write out the recipe once i'm done with my major stuff.

If you have any comments, please feel free to hit on the comment button at the end of this post. Once again, thank to all my fellow customers for being patient with me.

I'll add in another dessert recipe soon as well on how to differentiate between a good egg and a bad egg. =P

Beware! Swine Flu!

2009-04-28T23:00:00.001-07:00

First the chickens and now the pigs!

Swine flu also known as the Influenza H1N1 virus has been spreading nationwide. It started from Mexico, where the pigs have been infected. Mexican health secretary Jose Angel Cordova said there were 1614 suspected cases of people infected with the deadly strain, which has spread to seven other countries and caused the US to declare a health emergency. Most of the cases in Mexico have been in young healthy adults, who are not normally seriously affected by influenza, the World Health Organisation said.

However, Dr Kok Tuck Weng, a virologist affiliated to the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide, said it was not possible to predict if swine flu would have the same fatality levels as SARS - which killed one in 10 people who were infected.

Professor Greg Tannock, an expert in virology at RMIT University, said swine flu's origins and its speed of infection were of concern.

"This has occurred in several different locations in North America and it may become a prevalent pandemic virus in years to come. Unlike bird flu ... this transmits much more rapidly.

"The other thing about the current swine flu is that it appears to be a mutational event. So it's become humanised and you don't need swine to transmit the virus, as you do with bird flu.

He said if swine flu turned out to be a pandemic, people would have little to no immunity from it.

Australian Pork Ltd said people should not have any fears about eating pork products in Australia.

"Swine fever from which this disease is from is not a known disease in Australia. So there is no risk of people catching it from Australian pigs," Emily Mackintosh, general manager of communications at Australian Pork Ltd, said.

So for my Australian buds out there, it's safe to consume pork as long as it's a local product but as a precaution, try to eat less of it.

As for Singaporean khakis, always check the label for the origin of the product. Try to be as cautious as possible. Always ask about the origin of the pork before purchasing.

Prevention Methods

1. Avoid eating pork as you can see that its the cause of it.
2. Always wash your hands after being exposed from public/crowded areas.
3. If someone is sneezing or having a inluenza-like illness, try to keep a distance away from them.

Traditional Chinese Beef Stew~

2009-04-27T06:26:00.000-07:00

As requested by one of Smell My Food™ Customers,

Its the all time warm and heartfelt dish..

Traditional Chinese Beef Stew.....

Added in the recipe section!

Hot hot hot~~

2009-04-26T22:01:00.001-07:00

Global warming has hit Asia as the wind directions have changed(Thats why its freezing in Australia!). A beverage that will cool you up~

Lemon Lime Bitters - An australian non alcoholic beverage drink.

Check out the recipe section!

I've made it in a comic strip form.

Comment about it and I may use it if it suits the customers.

Alert! Chicken Wings Attack!

2009-04-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

I've recently received this email.

Chicken Wings - Its Dangerous Avoid eating chicken wings frequently - ladies, especially; a true story...! A friend of mine recently had a growth in her womb and she underwent an operation to remove the. The cyst removed was filled with a dark colored blood. She thought that she would be recovered after the surgery but! she was terribly wrong.

A relapse occurred just a few months later. Distressed , she rushed down to her gynecologist for a consultation.. During her consultation, her doctor asked her a question that puzzled her. He ask if she was a frequent consumer of chicken wings and she replied yes wondering as to how, he knew of her eating habits. You see, the truth is in this modern day and age; chickens are injected with steroids to accelerate their growth so that the needs of this society can be met. This need is none other than the need for food.

Chickens that are injected with steroids are usually given the shot at the neck or the wings. Therefore, it is in these places that the highest concentration of steroids exists. These steroids have terrifying effects on the body as it accelerates growth.. It has an even more dangerous effect in the presence of female hormones, this leads to women being more prone to the growth of a cyst in the womb. Therefore, I advise the people out there to watch their diets and to lower their frequency of consuming chicken wings!

So people, as long as you're purchasing Organic Chicken, you will be fine!

Different ways of breeding chickens and what does it mean.

Natural	Chickens can be labeled as "natural" if it does not contain any chemical preservative, artificial coloring or flavoring, or any other synthetic substance. It can be processed using traditional methods, such as freezing, smoking, roasting, and drying. These minimal USDA standards allow even chickens that have been treated with antibiotics and growth enhancers to be classified as "natural."
Free-Range	Chickens labeled "free-range" have only one requirement, which is that it must have had access to an outside environment. Free-range chickens are thought to have more flavor meat, but it is generally tougher. The chickens may have been exposed to antibiotics, growth enhances, and steroids.
Organic	Chickens labeled "organic" must be certified by a certification entity. To be certified the chickens must be fed organic feed that is made up of grains and soybeans that have been grown in soil that has not been exposed to chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other harmful chemicals. They cannot be treated with any drugs or antibiotics, and they must have outside access. Organic chickens are available for those concerned with consuming a healthier meat and promoting a healthier environment for animals and humans.
Kosher	A kosher chicken must be raised and processed with strict guidelines under rabbinical supervision. The chickens are fed only grain and are free-range. They are never given any antibiotics and they are individually inspected. When they are processed, the chickens are soaked in a salty brine solution to give the meat a unique flavor.
Conventional	Conventionally raised chickens are raised under confined conditions without exposure to natural sunlight or access to the outside environment. Due to these conditions, growth enhancers are sometimes used to promote growth and the need for antibiotics is greater. Often the conditions are overcrowded and the feed used has potentially been exposed to harmful chemicals. Chickens raised under conventional methods have less flavorful meat than those raised by other methods, such as free-range or organic.

The wonders of Wine

2009-04-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

Wine is an alcoholic beverage often made of fermented grape juice.The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients.Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast which consume the sugars found in the grapes and convert them into alcohol. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are used depending on the types of wine being produced.

How to taste Wine

The greatest thing about wine is its mystery. You can read all the words on the label and in the review. They giveyou an idea of what this wine should taste like but you are never quite sure and there is only one way to find out. Pull the cork, splash some wine into a glass and stick it in your mouth. Drink it on its own, then with some food- it tastes different. The mystery of wine, its ever evolving. Tasting wine, like food, involves using the senses of sight, smell and taste to create a whole picture.

The Steps

Visual/Appearance

Appearance gives you important visual cues - colour,clarity and viscosity are all indicators of variety,age and style. Is it light-coloured, deep or even dark? Colour can speak.

Smell

Quoted by Rudyard Kipling, ' Scents are surer than sights and sounds to make your heartstrings crack.' Undoubtedly he was right. What does the smell of Johnson's Baby Powder mean to you? Or freshly cut grass? Bread Baking? A freshly cut opened durian? The aftershave of a long-lost lover? Conversely, burnt rubber or the smell of sour milk, for those who once drank school milk after it had sat in the sun?

The light delicate smells - perfume,floral or mineral- waft in and out through the detection range. The smell of grapefruits, pineapples, furniture varnish and even kerosene! All this scent can be picked up from wine through the nose.

Texture

Put your nose right in the glass and you will find the deeper, richer, heavier smells - the earth, truffle, mushroom, barnyard or fresh meat.

Then there are things that are pungent or unpleasant. They twitch the nose, especially the hairs and membranes high up and trigger an involuntary reflex to pull the head away.

In texture, we talk about the aroma and bouquet. Aroma is about fruit and winemaking while bouquet has to do with age.

Taste

Taste is the most important of all the senses because it doesn't matter how good the wine looks or how fantastic it smells - if it doesn't taste good, basically, it sucks.

Sweetness is usually the first thing the mouth registers as the sugar receptors are concentrated at the front of the tongue. Acidity tingles the sides of the tongue and is usually quite sharp. Alcohol produces an oily sensation and if there is too much it can be hot and burning. Tannin is what makes the tongue and gums feel powdery and can be quite bitter.

After reading this whole lot of information, why not get yourself a bottle of wine and try the steps. Start with a lighter wine like white white(which i recommend a riesling or a sauvignon blanc. Dessert wines are alright too as well as ice wines although they are expensive!). Slowly open the cork, sniff it and then pour a glass of wine. Take a nose to it and then give it a swirl. You'll find that the aroma is stronger than the first. Now think of what kind of familiar scent you can come up with. Its amazing. Now go ahead and taste it. Does it taste different than what you are getting from the nose? Or are you getting the same thing?

I admit, at first, it is quite bitter upon taste. But over time, as you keep exploring the beauty of wine itself, you'll find that, appreciating wine is actually a lost adventure....

Sweet treats

2009-04-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

Lets start it off with something sweet..

Crepes a la Normande Style - Refer to Recipes section

Sight- Golden brown crepes glazed with shiny apricot glaze. Apple cubes shimmering as the caramelized sauce coats and oozes out from the crepes. A snowy effect from the icing sugar.

Nose - Smells of cooked pastry with apple aromas which give a sweet distinct smell of calvados. The perfectly cooked apples gives it a caramelized burnt aroma.

Texture - Delicate and crispy skin that compliments with the soft yet crunchy apples that ends off with a powdery feeling.

Flavour - Intense buttery-like crepes flavour with sweet and sour apples that gives a tinge of alcohol from the calvados. Slowly, the tongue gets covered with the caramelized sauce and lingers.

Feeling - Upon closing your eyes, you'll feel that it warms up ur mouth but as it moves around your mouth, the sensation just bursts into your palates.

Best Wine Accompaniment

Dessert Wine : Alasia Moscato D'Asti

Alcohol Content : 5%

Appearance : Light straw colour with clean and clear clarity

Aroma: Fresh lychee

Flavours: Honey and fruity. Sweet with low acidity. Dry and Short finish.

*In the next post, I will be talking about wine appreciation. The steps and techniques to learning wines. The facts about wines and its culture. Definitely, there will be recipes added as well.

Stay - Tuned..

Hors D'oeuvres

2009-04-25T08:17:00.003-07:00

Due to wine, loads of projects and lotsa wine again, I've decided to create a blog that associates with food,food,food and food. (not forgetting the wine)

Ever since i left singapore on a journey not far from home, I've started to learn not only food itself but the nature of food. The exposure that I have been given is enriching and empowering my knowledge to the brim whereby i'm force to share.

I'm tired of food blogs that don't go into details. The flavour, texture, aroma , sight and the feeling that it gives us. Where have all that gone to? Is food just something whereby we go "ahh, it just satisfied my tummy' or ' It smells heavenly and it taste good'. Have u ever smelt heaven ? And what is defined by good?

And how many singaporeans actually like wine(excluding the sweet kinds)? There's so much to it. Have you wondered why expats or angmohs like to swirl their wine in the glass and take a good sniff before drinking it in a pleasant and yet "soundful" way?

Expressions...

Feelings....

Thoughts...

Creativeness...

A touch of Chef D....

All to be unfold...

Stay tuned..