Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween folks :)

How did you celebrate? Did you dress up and go trick-or-treating? Did you carve a pumpkin? Or did you cook something related to Halloween?


In the past, it was common for children to dress up as something "scary" (think:witch, monsters, skeletons) but nowadays anything goes as long as it's different from one's self. In the spirit of Halloween, Baby C dressed up in her pretty ladybug dress AND pulled off some "scary faces". We certainly had fun making fun faces in the afternoon.

Am I scary???? Rawr!!

I'm coming to get youuuuuuu!

In the evening, we partook in a popular game called apple bobbing or dooking for apples. Hubby used to play this game as a child during Halloween and thought it would be fun for us to try it too. And what fun it was! We giggled, we laughed at each other... apple bobbing is a game whereby you fill a bucket full of water, place apples in the bucket and then try to remove the floating apples using only your mouth/teeth. No hands allowed. It's not that easy -- noone managed to get any apples ou! t except for Hubby. Well done ;)


Dooking (or ducking) for apples

Hubby getting ready for the challenge!

Success!


Mummy, apples are for eating, not for playing..

Yum! When I grow up, I wanna play dooking for apples too.

I didn't manage to make any Halloween food this year! , but if you're interested, check out the recipe for homemade pumpkin and sweetcorn soup I made last year.

Before it snowed

gluten free roasted root vegetable recipe

gluten free roasted root vegetable recipe

gluten free roasted root vegetable recipe

Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe

I took these pictures right before it snowed.

Yes.

Not only a little touch of snow.

But enough to cover hills and gardens and roofs and roads and make us imagine we were in the depth of winter. Enough to damage trees and deprive a lot of households from power. It came quickly. Unexpected.

When we woke up on Sunday night and opened the curtains of our bedroom, Lulu took a peek outside and exclaimed:

Wow, maman, regarde la neige !

Everything outside was painted white: trees, garden, roof of neighboring houses, Lulus bike and sandbox. It felt quiet and peaceful. Without a sound. Without a soul outside beside the ! adventur ous squirrel hopping on to a fallen branch.

As if nothing had happened.

It was beautiful.

But I felt for the farmers, thinking that this was obviously going to affect them in a bad way.

On Friday, I went to the farmers market downtown. I am thankful now that I did. I wish I had bought even more to support the farmers. To tell them how precious what they do is. I will miss them during the winter.

I was so pleased to still find a wide selection of scrumptious-looking root vegetables. They were more colorful and beautiful the ones than the others. I knew that I would rub them simply with garlic and thyme, adding perhaps coriander or cumin. Then, Id roast them, so that my vegetable dish would reveal the taste of each vegetable while offering a patchwork of cheerful colors.

Boston farmer market New England tartine gourmande

I left the market with my basket filled with radishes of different types, turnips and carrots of various colors, red and yellow and pink baby beets, celeriac and apples, fresh ginger and garlic.

They looked so pretty together in my basket that they made me feel giddy.

I used half of them in a roasted vegetable dish I cooked and served to accompany our lunch with friends on Sunday. And with the apples, I prepared Apple verrinesa recipe from my cookbookwhich was the dessert that sealed our meal.

apple verrine French gluten free tartine gourmande cookbook

Apple Verrine Recipe

We laughed a lot. Lulu dressed up like a butterfly. She was beaming. She kept talking about the ladybug girl outfit she was going to wear to school.

We almost forgot about the snow.

But when everyone had left and the kitchen was cleaned, Lulu and I walked to the park and ran in the snow. Despite the sun, the park was almost empty. She was disappointed that she could not use the slide. But instead, we enjoyed looking at the footprints our boots left in the snow.

Aujourdhui, cest un jour particulier, (Today is an exceptional day) I told her as we walked back, holding hands. La neige est arrive tt, (The snow came early) I went on.

Aujourdhui, cest un jour particulier, she repeated while looking down, once again, at the footprints her boots were making in the snow.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Coriander and Lemon Thyme Recipe


(For 4 people)

You need:

  • 8 small carrots (purple, white, orange), peeled and cut lengthwise (or quartered depending on size)
  • 8 baby beets (red, pink, yellow), peeled and cut in halves (or quartered depending on size)
  • 8 radishes, long and round, cut lengthwise
  • 4 turnips, quartered
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 1 inch ginger root, peeled and finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 5 twigs of lemon thyme, finely chopped
  • Sea salt and pepper
  • Olive oil


Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 375 F. Have a baking dish or a baking sheet covered with parchment paper ready.
  • In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with the garlic, coriander, lemon thyme and ginger (if using). Season with salt and pepper.
  • Drizzle the vegetables with olive! oil to coatI like to toss them using my hands.
  • Transfer the vegetables to the dish or baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Serve them to accompany a meat or fish, with a cooked grain like rice, millet or quinoa.
  • Of course, any carrots, beets or radishes will do.

Le coin franais
Lgumes racines rtis au four et parfums la coriandre et au thym citron


(Pour 4 personnes)

Ingrdients :

  • 8 petites carottes (mauves, blanches, oranges), peles et coupes en 2 dans la longueur , ou en 4, selon grosseur
  • 8 petites betteraves (rouges, jaunes, roses), peles et coupes en 2 ou en 4 (selon grosseur)
  • 8 radis, longs et ronds, coups dans la longueur
  • 4 navets, coups en 4
  • 3 gousses dal, peles et minces
  • 2 cm de racine de gingembre, pel et hach finement (optionnel)
  • 1 cc de coriandre en poudre
  • 5 brins de thym citron hachs finement
  • Sel de mer et poivre
  • Huile dolive


Etapes :

  • Prchauffez le four 190 C et prparez un plat gratin, ou une plaque de cuisson recouverte de papier sulfuris.
  • Dans une jatte, mlangez les lgumes avec lal, la coriandre en poudre et le thyme citron (et du gingembre, si vous en utilisez). Salez et poivrez.
  • Arrosez les lgumes dun filet dhuile dolive. Remuez les leegumes avec les mains ou une cuiller en bois et ajoutez assez dhuile pour quils soient tous enrobs.
  • Mettez les lgumes dans le plat ou sur la plaque de cuisson, et enfournez pendant environ 35 minutes, ou jusqu ce que les lgumes soient tendres. Servez pour accompagner une viande, un poisson, et une crale comme du riz, du millet ou du quinoa.
  • Bien sr, tout type de carottes, betteraves et radis feront laffaire.

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Give-away: RM5 for 2 Cups of Bubble Tea at Yippee Cup Vouchers by DealCity

The truth is, a blog is nothing without readers. I know this very well so as a token of appreciation of your continuous support, I am giving away 50 vouchers from DealCity. FYI each voucher costs RM5 each and will entitle you to 2 cups of Bubble Milk Tea (MT) of your choice from Yippee Cup worth equivalent to RM5.90 each cup (RM11.80 value). If you have bought anything from group buying/deal sites you should very well know how this works.

bubble-tea

Yippee Cup Voucher from DealCity

There is absolutely no catch to this and you wont have to pay a single cent. As long as you are based in Klang Valley then you are eligible for the free vouchers. All you need to do to participate is:

  • Sign up as a member of DealCityMalaysia
  • Like DealCityMalaysias Facebook Page
  • Submit a comment eg. I want Bubble Milk Tea! at the end of this post with your email entered correctly in the comment section.
  • If you are the first 50 people to do so then you will get your voucher emailed to you later. Its as easy as that! Absolutely no catch at all. But of course I will be doing some checks to ensure that there is only one redemption per email and IP address. You know, for fairness sake.

    bubble-tea

    From left to right: Yippee Original Milk Tea, Ramen Caramel Milk Tea & Fresh Milk Gui-Ling

    If youre wondering why I am choosing to give away vouchers for Yippee Cup, it is simply because I find their MT nice and worth recommending. FYI, Yippee Cup is a 100% Malaysian brand and not some franchise Bubble Tea brought in from HK or Taiwan, which is also one of ! the reas ons they have my support. If you havent tried Yippee Cup before why not take this opportunity to do so? All the ingredients used to prepare the Bubble MT are carefully selected and imported from Taiwan to ensure the highest possible quality. It tastes as authentic as it could get.

    bubble-tea

    Yippee Cup Taiwan Bubble Milk Tea

    One of the major differences you will taste in Yippee Cups Bubble MT would be the pearls. They are made using high grade tapioca flour hence the extra-bouncy and chewy texture. Besides, a special brewer is used to brew the tea leaves at ideal temperature to draw out the best flavors too.

    bubble-tea

    From left to right: Yippee Original Milk Tea, Ramen Caramel Milk Tea & Fresh Milk Gui-Ling

    In total, Yippee Cup has over 90 varieties of MT to choose from so it will take a while to try them all. But after trying a few, I have to say my personal favorites are the Yippee Original MT and any Caramel flavored MT.
    But if I had to choose only one I would go for the latter, which I feel gives the Milk Tea a unique roasted aroma as well balancing off the sweetness. But for people who are more health consious, Green Tea is the better alternative. I especially like the sugar-free version of Ocha Red Bean Blend, which is basically ice-blended Green Tea topped with Red Beans that provides the natural sweetness.

    bubble-tea

    Yippee Cup Bubble Milk Tea

    As for the toppings, there are plenty to choose from like Pearl, QQ, Ai-Yu, Coffee Crystal, Grape Jelly, Green Tea Crystal, Gui-Ling, Pudding and Ramen. So far I have only managed to try 3 out of the 10 but I am already loving the possibilities of how ! I could customize my favorite cuppa, even down to the drinks sugar and ice levels. So if I have got you interested (you should be!) here are some important fine prints of the voucher.

    • Voucher can be used to redeem 2 cups of bubble milk tea of your choice worth equivalent to or less than RM5.90 for each cup. Can opt to choose a drink with higher value, just top up the difference.
    • Feature period : 1st 7th November 2011
    • Redemption period: 16th November 2011 15th January 2012
    • May buy and use many
    • Service charges and government tax included
    • Valid at Yippee Cup outlets at: Plaza Damas and SS2
    bubble-tea

    Yippee Cup @ Plaza Damas Sri Hartamas


    But what if you want to redeem Bubble MT that costs more than RM5.90? Well, its really simple in case you missed reading it above you just have to pay for the difference. For example, if you want two cups of large Gui-Ling Roasted MT @ RM6.90 each, you just have to top up RM1 for each cup = RM2 in total. Lastly, I am sorry I could not treat the readers outside Klang Valley to this give-away because the Yippee Cup only has branches in KL and PJ and their addresses are as follow:

    Sri Hartamas Outlet:
    Lot P-3M(2), Plaza Ground Floor,
    Hartamas Shopping Centre,
    60, Jalan Sri hartamas 1, Sri Hartamas
    50480 Kuala Lumpur
    Business hours: 10 am 9:30 pm daily

    SS2 Outlet:
    No. 44, Jalan SS2/66,
    47300 Petaling Jaya,
    Selangor Darul Ehsan.
    Business hours:
    Sunday Thursday (10am 11pm)
    Friday, Saturday & Eve of public holiday (10am 12am)

    Enjoy!

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    Mughle Azam

    Every wall has a story, every dish is a dream: that's the tagline for this bungalow restaurant, which dishes out luxurious Indian spreads & depicts lavish Mughal tales of bygone empires on handcrafted walls of limestone & mortar.

    First, the food _ northern Indian fare of a wide variety. Our favorite: tender chunks of salmon, flavored with fenugreek leaves for a herbal bitterness & charcoal-cooked for a subtle smokiness.

    Lamb Pasanda, a mild curry with cashews & raisins, reputedly once served in the court of Moghul emperors. Alas, Mughle Azam's version was ruined by the terribly gamy, sinewy meat, which tasted more like mutton than lamb.

    A safer choice: clay oven-cooked butter chicken. Deliciously creamy, though the accompaniment of chapati could have been less chewy.

    Fish moilee _ dory sauteed with tomatoes, cilantro & coconut. Went well with the cumin-laced rice & potato curry. Mughle Azam's food is reasonably priced; RM50 per person should suffice.

    Lamb briyani. Good but not great; the rice was fluffy & fairly flavorsome, but something seemed missing, something that we couldn't put our finger on. All in all, expect both hits & misses here.

    Booze is available. Jack Daniel & Jim Beam White.

    Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc (Chile), a heartening RM15 by the glass.

    Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon, the only red wine offered here.

    Note: the kitchen only closes at midnight; thumbs up for that!

    Mughle Azam,
    19, Lorong Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur.
    Tel: 03-2166-1022

    Bastianich, Friulano

    Bastianich, Friulano

    I had no idea where we were; I was a little unsure which day it actually was. But here we were, disgorged from the bus at a vineyard somewhere in the wilds of Fruili. My little GPS positioning gadget (for tagging the photos on return) wasnt coordinating, not that it would really help in knowing where we were.

    From behind a vine popped a shaggy haired, bearded American. Some had already met him. At one of the tasting tables from yesterday I presume. They joke at being in Waynes World. This was his territory; him being Wayne Young, a contented, amiable chap who works for the Bastianich Winery.

    Dull weather means the photos lack a little sparkle and photographic inspiration was a little lacking, but Wayne gives us an entertaining half hour describing the vines and a potted history of the estate and how he became involved in the wine making. He wandered by sometime in the eighties and just happened to be offered a job been here ever since.

    Its Autumn here, up in the hills, with a heavy cloud cover reminiscent of long dull winter days in the UK. The vines, plucked of their grapes a few weeks past, are turning in a final colourful flourish. Even under the dulling cloud cover they exude a warmth. A chill sets in so we debunk to the winery proper for a little pre-lunch tasting session. Its just twenty past nine in the morning.

    Bastianich is run by Joe Bastianich father, author, TV personality, musician and marathoner who also happens to own a string of some 17 restaurants across America. The Friulian winery, opened in 1997, was joined by a Tuscan venture three years later.

    We were given just three wines, from a range of eleven. But with these we, as Wayne enthused, were given the unabashed Wow factor.

    A white is first, The Bastianich Vespa Bianco, 2009, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Italy [ Adegga / Snooth]. With this the estate aims to produce the greatest white wine in Italy. Blending equal measures (45%) of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc with a touch of local Picolit they have crafted a wine so elegant and beautifully fresh and textural that you could believe their greatest wine goal has been reached. The Picolit, gives texture, and is vinified dry. Usually the grape, a great pain in the arse, is dried and made into sweet wines. Its difficult to grow, its difficult to ripen fully and supplies tiny yields. Im captivated the wildflower aromas of the wine, the richness countered by a mineral backbone and that elegance are gorgeous. That acidity means Vespa is a white that will age, seven to ten years is suggested.

    A second white is poured, the Bastianich Plus, 2007, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Italy [Adegga / Snooth] an extreme style of Tocai. Its from old vine Tocai (Friulano) of which 10% are bunch dried appassito to further concentrate the flavour. This drying process means the grapes loose about 1/3rd of their water content, a process that can take up to 6 weeks. The Plus retains some sweetness (7g sugar which is hardly a concern) and leans somewhat to the styles of wines from Alsace. It divides opinion. Some find it overtly American in style too rich, too explosive; although Wayne denies it was specifically designed for the American market and the companies restaurants. Me? With a liking for the wines of Alsace I am a huge fan

    Another wine that will age. When young hugely versatile in matching with food fish and sushi are mentioned as are quite spicy dishes. With age though soft cheeses are suggested.

    Finally a red, the Bastianich Calabrone, 2007, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Italy [Adegga / Snooth]. (Calabrone is a hornet). This wine has a complicated construction. Refosco grapes make up 70% of which half are dried. 10% is from Schioppettino all of which are dried and then there is 10% Pignolo and 10% Merlot. Each is vinified separately before blending, aging in new oak for 24 months before a final two years in bottle before release. Its magnificent but others disagree finding it far too extracted, sweet (10g sugar, more than the white) with an explosion of spices, chocolate and deep, deep red fruits on the palate. A big wine for robust dishes. Wild Boar and steak are suggested. These certainly were the wineries Wow bottles.

    In retrospect one wishes one had purchased a bottle or two at the time, as some of the group indeed did.

    While these wines from Bastianich were tasted in the winery several from the extended range are available through Bibendum in the UK. They currently list the Vespa 2008 at 19.13 a bottle alongside three other wines. The two blockbuster wines the Plus, and the Calabrone are made in tiny quantities with prices to match; 60 for the Calabrone for example.

    Vineyard, Bastianich, Fruili, Italy
    Vineyard Path, Bastianich, Fruili, ItalyVine leaves, Bastianich, Fruili, Italy
    Vineyard, Bastianich, Fruili, Italy
    Vineyard, Bastianich, Fruili, Italy
    Vineyard, Bastianich, Fruili, Italy
    Wayne Young, Bastianich, Fruili, Italy
    Autumn Vine Leaf, Bastianich, Fruili, Italy
    Vineyard Daises, Bastianich, Fruili, Italy

    Spittoon.biz - A UK Wine Blog - We Spit... So You Can Swallow