Strawberry Ice

So heres the thing. I made ice.

Actually, my freezer made ice. I put strawberries and water in an ice cube tray.

Not everything is yeasted, risen, covered in cinnamon, or battered and fried. Sometimes we need something as simple as ice.

If youre still with me, just imagine all of the possible combinations! Blueberry lime ice. Strawberry mint ice. Pineapple ice. Lemon raspberry ice. Cocktail enhancers!

Consider the real-life application of Strawberry Ice: in lemonade (with or without vodka).

Any real-life application in my house usually involves my cat.

You might also consider Strawberry Cream Puffs aaaand Strawberry Upside Down Cake with Cardamom.

This is beyond easy.

Start with your fruit.

Smash ! it and m ash it. Place it in the ice cube slots.

Pour water over and toss it in the freezer.

Top frozen cubes with lemonade or really any beverage that you want to turn strawberry-y.

You know that scene in Bridesmaids when Kristen Wiig is going to the Parisian wedding shower, with the giant cookie, and shes super pissed at how amazing the Strawberry Lemonade is? This is that. Exactly.

Oh and if you havent yet seen Bridesmaids that was a major spoiler. Kidding.

Strawberry Ice

makes 12 cubes

Print this Recipe!

3 large strawberries, mashed and chopped

water

ice cube tray

Place a combination of mashed and chopped strawberries in each ice cube slot. Pour enough filtered water to fill the tray. Freeze until frozen through and serve with cocktails and lemonade.

Mother's Day Treat @ DISH, Dua Annexe KL

For my first Mother's Day treat this year, Hubby took me to DISH for their set lunch. This was a day before we went on our Singapore trip. A girl loves to be pampered, even when she's already a mother.. agree? ;)

We love visiting DISH on a Friday as it is relatively quiet and it feels like we get the whole restaurant to ourselves.

Complimentary bread

Eggplant fritters - my fav, give me this over bread anytime!

Just before we tucked into our starters, I got a special lesson on "how to make gnocchi" from Chef Steve Allen. He showed me how it is made since I'm a noob cluelesswhen it comes to making any sort of pasta (well, except the tortellini ;)) Special thanks to Chef Steve for showing me, now I can try to attempt it at home too... and when I'm successful, I will post the recipe on the blog.

Back to our starters, Hubby had the baked gnocchi with brie and tomato salad. The gnocchi had a nice texture. I had the Braised mushrooms and asparagus with fried egg on brioche- it has all of my favorite ingredients and has been executed very well. We also got to try the white onion soup, with sambal cod fritters - the soup was creamy and the sambal was a very nice addition to the fritters, slightly sweet with a ting! e of spi ciness.

Baked gnocchi with brie and tomato salad

Braised mushrooms and asparagus with fried egg on brioche

White onion soup, with sambal cod fritters

For mains, I chose the chargrilled grass fed rib eye served with sweetcorn and anchovies, sweet potato croquettes and chilli sauce charon. The rib eye was slightly thicker than the striploin that we had here the previous weekand was also a much more flavorful cut. I like!

Chargrilled grass fed rib eye served with sweetcorn and anchovies, sweet potato croquettes and chilli sauce charon

Medium rare!

Sweet potato croquette - nice

Hubby would usually order the steak too, but he decided to try something different. He had the roasted chicken with oregano, confit chicken with parmesan crumble and vegetables. Though the chicken was moist, I think he was still secretly eyeing my steak ;P (I did share!)

You shoot me, I shoot you..

Desserts here are always delightful. I enjoyed my pain perdu with mangosteen puree and granita and mascarpone-lemon ice cream - sweet and tangy. (Pain perdu is French toast, and literally translates to "lost bread" in French). But Hubby's green guava tart tatin with lime ice cream stole the limelight, it was absolutely delicious - wonderfully crumbly pastry.

I enjoyed my Mother's Day treat at DISH, thanks Hubby. Will be going back to DISH soon for the fourth time :)

Pain perdu with mangosteen puree and granita

Green guava tart tatin with lime ice cream

Pink gerbera

*This is our third visit to DISH. See previous reviews here and here.This current lunch menu is available until tomorrow (24th May).


Pork-free.

Opening times: Lunch 12.00 - 2.30pm, Dinner 6.00 - 11.00pm.

Service: Good.

Parking: RM5 flat rate.

Price: RM65++ for 2-courses, RM75++ for 3-courses. Set lunch menu changes every 2 weeks.

Location: Dish, Dua Residency, Lot 1.1, Ground Floor, Dua Annexe, No. 211 Jalan Tun Razak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2164 1286

GPS Coordinates: 3.156971, 101.720803

Website: http://dishfinedining.com/

From Tokyo with love

Superb Ramen @ Menya Musashi, Eat Paradise-Isetan One Utama

Ever since Kim came back from Vancouver, the one thing he really missed was his Benkei and Kintaro's Ramen which in his opinion was the best. KL did not have a Ramen place that stood up to his criteria of a good Tonkotsu Ramen, Springy Noodles and very oily and porky Broth.

This all changed when Japan's highly popular Ramen Chain, Menya Musashi setup shop inside Isetan's Eat Paradise in One Utama. Menya is as Japanese as you can get. Not only the Head Chef is Japanese (transplanted from their Shinjuku Branch) but their boisterous line chefs are all Japanese! Heck the noodles are supposedly flown in from Japan as well.




Shiro Cha Shu Tonkotsu Ramen

The Tonkotsu Broth was definitely very rich and full of Pork Flavor. To Kim Menya's Pork Broth brings memories of his beloved Vancouver. The Ramen was also excellent. It was very Springy in texture and the Cha Shu had a nice combination of Fat and Meat.


AKA Musashi Tonkotsu Ramen

This is their Spicy Ramen. It's basically Chili Oil mixed in with their Tonkotsu Broth. Unlike their Chashu Ramen, this version includes a semi-boiled egg that was suppose to have a runny yolk.


Gyoza

The Gyoza was not to my liking. It was a little too soggy for me.


After my Ramen I couldn't help but agree with Kim. The Ramen at Menya was as good as what we had in Tokyo and Vancouver. Kim and I are both so happy to be living 10 minutes from One Utama. Menya will definitely be a weekly affair for me whenever I'm back in KL!

Food: 4.8/5
Service: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 4.5/5
Price: $ (Approximately USD $10 per person)


Contact Information
Contact Information:
Address: Level 2, Eat Paradise, Isetan @ 1-Utama
Bandar Utama City Centre, Petaling Jaya
Tel: N/A
Map:

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World Chefs: A taste of Venice in Londons east end

The Pureimagine has added a photo to the pool:

Butaya
Nikon D300S, Nikkor AF-S 50mm f1.4G

Home Improvement: Working on the kitchen now. First up TILES!

A few months ago, I made the decision to move out of my old apartment as I needed a bigger kitchen space which would open up new possibilities for me if I ever decide to venture into the baking business.

Early this year, I turned my thoughts into action, and finally moved into a new house!

When I first stepped foot into the house, I immediately noticed how the tiles were installed in each room.

I wanted to make sure that before I signed any agreement with the landlord, the house is in good condition, especially the tiling. To me, it is an utmost importance that none of the tiles are falling off or are cracking as I know that making renovations would cost quite a sum of money.

From what Ive heard, in a common 22X70 terrace home in the Klang Valley, tiling the kitchen and bathroom area alone can cost up to RM8,000! Just imagine how much more it would cost if you have to change the tiling for the living room area, too!

I have done a little research of my own and would like to share about it with you, since I was just speaking to my landlord the other day.

Most people do not realize that besides floor tiling, roof tiling and wall tiling are equally important as well. You might be surprised but there are people out there who do not know the difference between these tiles.

Wall tiles should never be installed on the floor because they may not be able to withstand the heavy traffic. If it was done so, the tiles would probably crack really quickly. Hence, using the right tiles is very important before you begin a renovation project.

They say that, Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. When it comes to home deco and renovation projects, it is best if you! dont ch oose the tiles based on the lowest cost just to cut cost. In the long term, you might additional renovation to fix up any problems that may have been resulted from the first renovation project, and this would cost even more money! So please, use quality tiles from the very beginning.

I might not be very knowledgeable about tiling, but it is only common sense that this isnt a job for just anyone. Using professionals to do the tiling job is the right way to go to avoid installation problems later on. Incorrect installation by poor workmanship can lead to problems including loose tiles; cracked tile or grout, which is the space between the tile; and uneven tiles. I have heard from a few friends complaining about loose tiles in their home, and they would blame it on the quality of the tiles, when actually, higher chances were because the tiles were installed incorrectly in the first place. Again, more were forked- out more just to fix that!

And of course, it goes without saying that maintenance is key. Whether if its tiles, gadgets, cars, or clothes, everything require proper maintenance if you want them to last long! Tiles need to be cleaned consistently to maintain its original appearance and characteristics or else the soil and dirt may cause the tiles to have a glaze-less surface. For my house, I have bought specific cleaning agents for each area that are tiled, but fortunately for all of us, the cleaning products nowadays are suitable for a wide range of surfaces.

If you would like to learn more about it, no doubt theres plenty of information on the Internet. Frankly, reading all of it would just cost information overload! I know, cos I was around when my ex-boyfriend was renovating his home in Petaling Jaya. We started with expos and fairs, grabbing as many brochures as possible from the participating outlets. Home decoration and home improvement magazines are very helpful, especially if they are published specifically for your own co! untry. Y es, the weather does play a part to the maintenance of tiles, paint and furniture of your home!

Lastly, it was showroom to showroom, checking out the tiles personally and speaking to the experts from established manufacturers and retailers which were more than willing to help.

Right now Im embarking on a new home improvement project, so youll be hearing more about it here! I have finally settled down and now had a little bit of time to improve the kitchen. I added a new fridge recently; and now Im shopping around for a new oven.

In Istanbul, Nothing Special

An on-time touchdown and a friendly taxi driver from Malatya who cheerfully helped with our bags and wished us a pleasant day with a smile.

Milky blue skies and a gently warming sun. Through our window as we chased dehydration with ice-cold ayran, a sweet breeze with a hint of saltwater and just a lick of coolness. A jetlagged nap -- not too long, just enough.

A sublime lunch: pillowy little meat medallions, lightly crusted from the grill, accompanied by an intriguing dried chili-based sauce hinting at vinegar. "A secret recipe, like Coca Cola," said the kofteci when our companion asked after its ingredients.

A stroll through Karakoy and a ferry ride to Hydarpasa. Tea, because we were determined to stay awake the whole day and there is no better excuse to sit idle and stare at the water, and look at the now-quiet train station. (Sad to see waiting rooms occupied only by cats, the restaurant empty, the barber shop quiet).

A wander along the water to Kadikoy. Tea again, by the water again. A kilo of cherries purchased in the market and eaten in the park as a dog serenaded a shoe shiner, young couples, a group of guys getting lit on Efes, some housewives, and us.

The ferry to Eminonu, the Galata Bridge by foot and the funicular to Tunel. A late afternoon stroll down Istiklal, a spot of grocery shopping down the hill in Cihangir and a stop to say hello to Mehmet, our Istanbul fruit guy. Back at our apartment, artichoke hearts stewed in olive oil with fragrant young garlic, peas tossed with olive oil and ! slivers of fresh mint. A nectarine sky and the cries of gulls drifting through the window.

A not particularly special day in Istanbul. A perfect first day in Istanbul.

For more on our lunch -- Kfteci Hseyin: The Cadillac of Meatballs