sizzling hotplate

Just left the dinner table after a satisfactory attempt at breaking the monotony of the usual fare...my second experiment with the 2-month-old table-top grill. This time the menu was courtesy of Ms Harumi whose recipes are clear, helpful and workable.

Of course, it helped that Ryan was so hungry he couldn't resist treading into the kitchen ( a rare occurence) to survey the work-in-progress and drop a few hints at what he was expecting.

So, the result of a relatively short period of preparation (meat and seafood already defrosted earlier) was: miso soup, snapper and salmon fillets marinated in citrus sauce, prawns, chicken thigh fillets dipped in yakitori sauce, sliced pork in sweet onion gravy and sunny-side eggs with rice.

I must say that the marinades were quite simple to put together, although i was apprehensive about adjusting the proportions to suit our small portions of fish and meat. Kudos to Ms Harumi's excellent instructions. As I've maintained since the start of my culinary education, if I can follow a recipe and the dish turns out well, it's testimony to the effectiveness of the recipe/cookbook and excellent instructions laid out by the chef!

Ian kept asking whether that was all we had (good sign) and to my surprise, Mei asked to try the snapper fillet which she actually said she liked! Must be the lemon juice flavoured seasoning. Ryan said the pork quite resembled the beef he'd had (outside) and told everyone to pour the sauce over their sunny-side egg. That was the ultimate compliment!

A pity the portions were small tonight. Never know what to expect from the kids these days, what with their adventurous palates being cultivated by Papa's generous indulgences at a certain Jap restaurant.

Am quite encouraged to continue trying out more of Ms Harumi's recipes for lunch, specifically for Ian and Mei. Hope their appetites improve at the sight of food they like.

spore flag at the olympics

It was a rare Sunday evening with everyone, including Ah Ma (who unexpectedly stayed home due to the cancellation of her usual mahjong game), glued to the tv in the living room and having an equally rare tv dinner as we watched the excruciatingly exciting women's table-tennis final between China and Singapore.

It was an entertaining and admirable battle despite the predictable outcome and during the 'victory ceremony' we stood proudly as the Singapore flag was hoisted alongside the flags of China and Korea - a momentous occasion indeed for our country.

What made it even more memorable for me was the experience of witnessing the entire event together with the whole family at home. Though it's been only a week since the NDP evening we spent at The Sail, it felt good to be sitting around the tv watching something so historic together. And this time, I believe I can speak for A when I say that the fireworks were in our hearts. 



 

stiff neck

Being a giraffe with a stiff neck...I am reluctant to postpone my first posting, especially after the time spent by my loving daughter to help restore my interest in creating a blog. Thanks to her for finding the cartoon image that aptly captures my present state.

Still being unable to decipher the cause of this annoying ache spreading upwards from the top of my shoulder blades, I am loathe to imagine how frustrating it will be during tomorrow morning's yoga class. Today's feeble attempts at head rolling in various directions proved to be futile. 

I dedicate this blog to my three children who continue to embrace even the most irksome, irritating habits of their emotionally-erratic mother amidst the daily drills of domestic life. Such is the power of their innocence and loyalty, which I must hold on to as I trip and tumble along the path of parenthood.