Rose Petal Granola

One of the things I wanted to do for QUITOKEETO was include a short list of recipes. Little recipes related to products in the shop, highlighting how I actually use them in my own kitchen. Somehow, in the flurry of the past week of box building, label printing, and tape tangling, I forgot to post one of my favorites - a rose petal granola. So, I thought I'd share it here. It's a variation on the granola in Super Natural Every Day, made with rose petals, walnuts, currants, and black pepper.

I make this granola with these rose petals or(!) with rose petals I leave to dry completely in a sunny spot on a parchment-lined baking sheet. It takes just a day or two. But If you go this route, be sure to make them from unsprayed roses or rose petals. And keep in mind, it's fun to mix up the color of the petals and that sort of thing.

For those of you interested in getting a shop update - we're hoping to make the roses (and a number of the other items) available again early next week. The quantities will still be limited (it's just the nature of some of these items and how they're made/harvested). I suspect some of the items will be quick to go, but if you're on the QK mailing list, you'll be notified. We'll l! eave the shop open until the items sell through. So, just a heads up on that front, and a couple snapshots of the first boxes going on the truck :).

Hope you're all having a great week! xo -h

Continue reading Rose Petal Granola...

Carmel

April15, 2012


This was taken at some point on the 17 Mile Drive.





We drove on to Carmel-by-the-sea, a very quaint town that totally captivated me the first time I went there, in 1988. My friend CY was living there then. The sand on the beach is very white but not as fine as the sand on our tropical beaches.







When I first saw this house on my first trip to Carmel, I thought it was so English and that London would be just like that. Carmel is one of the most quaintest towns you'll ever visit, anywhere, and it is worth a day'! s stay a t least. From Carmel, you can drive south to Big Sur (beautiful coastal scenery, you see it in movies) and to a San Luis Abispo, a townwe enjoyed ourselves in on our previous trip, .


Clint Eastwood was the mayor of Carmel in the 80s and Hog's Breath Inn was his pub/restaurant. We were in Carmel for only about 2 hours and the shops were closing by the time we got there. I found Carmel rather too tidy and perfect this time but the shops are really worth a visit because most of them are stuffed with cute and unusual trinkets and bric-a-brac. I bought a pair of artichoke salad hands and I wish I bought the chess set where the pieces were cats versus dogs, different breeds of dogs. You should've seen their serious faces.

We had to rush back to Saratoga to have dinner with K's boys and her DIL-to-be. Dinner was at Fu Lam Mun in Mt View. The food was great but I've lost all the photos.



K's older boys work for Facebook (one's a post grad from Harvard and the other from Stanford) so after dinner, we were invited for a tour of FB's new building and headquarters. This was taken at the entrance to the 'campus'. I call it campus because the buildings reminded me of college. I can't post any photos here and we were not allowed to take photos inside except for the vending machines. It was a thrill and privilege to see for ourselves how the office of the most powerful social tool is like and I can tell you that FB's office is awesome. There are vending machines everywhere with all kinds of! drinks and snacks, from beef jerky to chips to energy bars, all free. There are also vending machines for computer parts and other stuff that my kids use such as headphones and other cool stuff. There were machines for computer games, there were kitchens and restaurants which serve excellent food, from western to Japanese. Garden tables and chairs are set in the garden in the middle of the grounds and there is a lrage area for bbq parties. The walls are written or painted with slogans (have to ask my daughter; can't remember some of the famous quotes) and the overall atmosphere was one of energy, innovativeness and--what's the word for that right now kind of feel? Ah yes, happening. It felt very happening, like the whole world is at its mercy feet. Which one of you who owns an FB account doesn't check FB at least twice a day?

Too Woo MBA Deli & Meats

Toowoomba is actually The Garden City in Southern Queensland, Australia but in Setapak there is this meat restaurant that you can eat Australian beef.From the mezzanine floor for a view of the restaurant.

The wooden tables & chairs.

The tools for you to mess with your food in a galvanised pail.Wild Mushroom Soup - I enjoyed the creamy and delicate taste of the mushroom....so good.Striplion - Grill marinated striplion served mashed potato & garden salad

Toowoomba Deli and Meat

G3A, PV 128 Platinum Mondrian,

Jalan Genting Klang, Setapak, 53000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 603 4131 9006

GPS: 3.199851, 101.716752

Acer Aspire S5 Launch Specifications, Price, Pictures!

Acer has just launched their latest ultrabooks range today and as you might be aware, I was an Acer Aspire S3 user prior to this; even an evangelist at the launch stage of Acers Ultrabooks campaign.

It was natural that Im here today to witness the new Acer Aspire S5, and to note the enhancements of the S5 in comparison to the S3.

My S3 is an Intel i5, and so is the Acer Aspire S5. However, do note that the i5 processor on the Acer Aspire S5 is 3rd Generation Intel Core Processor based on the 22nm, tri-gate transistor technology.

Below: The 2012 year >3rd Generation Intel Core Processor- Ivy Bridge, promising better performance with less power used.

Heres another chart to further explain the techicalities of it.

Got it? Its an i5, sa! me but n ot same.

Ok, Im just being cheeky. :P
Basically the name is the same but its from a different generation and promises to deliver increased performance and energy efficiency.

Now, other than the processor there are general improvements to the Acer Aspire S5 as seen in the table below.

Acer Aspire S5.

ACER ASPIRE S539153314G12SpecificationOperating System:

• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Processor & Motherboard:

• Intel Core i53317U Processor (3 MB L3 Cache, up to 1.70 GHz with Turbo Boostup to 2.60 GHz, DDR3 1600 MHz 17W), supporting Intel 64 architecture, IntelSmart Cache

• Mobile Intel HM77 Express Chipset
• 4GB DDR3 RAM (Max 4GB)
• 128GB SSD

Graphic:

• Intel HD Graphics 4000 with 128 MB of dedicated system memory, supporting

Microsoft DirectX 11, OpenGL 3.1, OpenCL v1.1

Audio:

• Optimized Dolby Home Theater v4 audio enhancement

Communication:

• Bluetooth 4.0+HS
• Acer Crystal Eye HD webcam with 1280 x 1024 resolution
• Acer InviLink Nplify 802.11b/g/n WiFi CERTIFIED

Others:

• 13.3 HD 1366 x 768 resolution, Acer CineCrystal LED
• Multigesture touchpad, supporting twofinger scroll, pinch, rotate, flip
• 2in1 card reader (SD, MMC)
• Thunderbolt port and Two USB 3.0 ports with one Poweroff Charging
• HDMI port with HDCP support
• Acer PowerSmart longlife battery, supporting up to 1,000 charge cycles
• 34 Wh 2310 mAh 4cell Lipolymer standard battery pack
• Estimated battery life: up to 6.5 hours
• 324.4 (W) x 227.3 (D) x 11.2/15 (H) mm
• Weight: 1.20 kg
• 1Year International Traveller Warranty
• Colours Available! : Midnig ht Black

* Performance may vary depending on system configuration and applications used.

PriceRM 3,499

Yes, improvement in pricing applies as well.

Lets just say you get what you pay for.
It is a newer generation of processor after all and the SSD is much appreciated; as well as the Thunderbolt port and 2 USB 3.0.
Best of all, its lighter at 1.20kg vs the S3 at 1.35kg. You can view the Acer Aspire S3 specs HERE.

Previously I have whined consistently about the keypad on the Acer Aspire S3 and I have been pretty vocal about my complaint. Thus that was one of the first thing I tested out on the Aspire S5.

Below: The keypad on the Acer Aspire S5.

This keypad was certainly much better! Thank god!

Other than that I loved the sleek matte-like body. Thats saying a lot coming from someone who likes ALL her gadgets WHITE.

The Acer Aspire S5 is the ultimate show of what the ideal ultrabook should be r! azor-thi n at 11mm and lightweight at 1.2kg, with superb user features tucked away in an impressive design for excellent mobility. The machine is super fast withUltrafast Thunderbolt technology; and ultra-responsive withAcer Green Instant Ontechnology for fast boot and resume, andAcer Instant Connectfor multimedia and data management on all devices. We believe that the Acer Aspire S5 is the perfect ultrabook for those who require high productivity, seamless connectivity, multi-use functionalities to juggle work and play and beautiful design, said Ricky Tan, General Manager of Acer Sales & Services Sdn. Bhd.

Heres another cool feature of the Acer Aspire S5.
The Aspire S5includes a high-speed Thunderbolt communications port and to accommodate this port, as well as others, Acer has equipped the Aspire S5 with Magic Flip, a quirky design feature.
By pressing a button, the chassis of the Aspire A5 moves upward, and the I/O panel that was previously hidden within the body of the computer is exposed for usage.

Watch this video and youll know what I meant!

Ever since using the Acer S3, I have become a hardcore ultrabook fan and have not used any form of computing device since. I dont even see the need for tablets; especially when an ultrabook is just as light and offers much more functionality.

Note: Outfit from PrettyChase.com. Shoes Bimba and Lola.

I have personally used the Toshiba Portege Z830, the Asus Zenbook and of course the Acer Aspire S3. Each boasts of their own individual positive and negative points. However, from my experience, the ultrabook (in general) has always been compared to the MacBook Air.

So yeah, whats YOUR comment?

Previous blog posts on Ultrabooks:

• ACER ASPIRE S3 Ultrabook Launch Ultra-slim Aerodynamic Design Meets Ultra-long Unplugged Freedom via Instant On and Connect
• Toshiba Ultrabook Portege Z830 Lightest & thinnest in the WORLD!
• Lenovo: The new Ideapad U-Series Ultrabooks Launch
• The Asus Zenbook launch! Prices, specs, pictures.
• The HP Folio13 Ultrabook and HP ENVY 14 Spectre.

Japanese Food @ Matsuya, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

uni (sea urchin) tofu


I never get sick of Japanese food.


Despite stuffing my face silly with sushi during the weekend, I still had lots of tummy space for the exquisite dishes from this 1-month old Japanese place.



grilled gindara


Regulars of Mizu Bangsar would have heard through the grapevine (or more likely tasted the difference) in their old favourite.


It seems the ex-chef and ex-manager had decamped up the street to this new place under the same management as Gin Shui Tei, the Japanese place in Tropicana Golf & Country Club.



matsuya salad


Some of the old favourites from the Mizu menu can be spotted here. Notably the signature foie gras and daikon radish. In fact, lovers of that delicacy will be happy to see loads of the ingredient peppering the menu, whether in the form of fried rice or maki.
!


assorted sashimi


I had high expectations for the Matsuya Sarada (RM25) since it sounded gorgeous with pomegranate, pine nuts and passion fruit dressing but it felt a tad ordinary when the flavours hit the tongue.


Luckily our next dish, the uni tofu (RM25), a soft wobbly soybean milk creation topped with uni that is grilled and served with a delicious broth restored our faith in the place. Simply brilliant as we slurp down the broth.



salmon ikura cheese maki


The assorted sashimi (RM190 for three persons) was lovely too, a chef's creation on what was freshly flown in today. I loved the sweet scallops and the hamachi slices.


Next came, the star dish of the night that had the longest name, gindara saikyomiso zuke yaki (RM55).


Wrapped in an ohba leaf that lent it a smoky flavour, the fish was beautifully cooked. Dipping each piece of the cod with the white miso seems to make it even tastier.



Japan Wagyu Ishiyaki


Then came something I have not had for years, Japan Wagyu Ishiyaki (RM240) or meat cooked on a hot stone. Strangely enough, I remember eating this kind of hot stone cooking in Soave, Italy.


This version is wonderful since it features the incredible melt in the mouth texture of the Japanese wagyu. Within a few minutes, all the cooking is done and we can slowly sink our teeth in the meat to savour.



goma ice cream


Last but not least, even the sesame ice cream (RM8) was exceptionally good. I liked the bits of sesame seeds I found inside the creamy ice cream.


And like I always say, I reckon we will keep returning here. Plans are underway to do a repeat visit with my mother who is a stalwart fan of Mizu.


Matsuya Japanese Cuisine
No. 19, Jalan Telawi 2
Bangsar Baru
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-2202 2618


(Pork free. Place is open for lunch and dinner daily. Fresh fish is flown in from Japan on Tuesday and Friday. It is right opposite Swensens. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.)


*Discla! imer: Th e opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

17 Mile Drive, Monterey Peninsula

From Monterey, we took the 17 Mile Drive, a very scenic drive along the coast of the Monterey Peninsula in California. From that point, the road leads to Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach and Carmel and the whole region is a gated community for the rich.

Rugged coasts.

The trees in the whole area are protected and can't be cut. This one is in the middle of the road! Buildings can't be higher than 2 storeys.


Sea lions on the rock...


...same as the last time I was here.




Guess who, nearly the same spot 15 years ago.


The Lone Cypress Tree is the symbol for the whole region. It is 250 years old and images of this tree are protected so that if you use a photo of it for commercial purposes, you will be breaking the law and can be prosecuted.




On the grounds of the Pebble Beach Golf Links where we FC treated us to a scrumptious lunch. Beautiful isn't it?Pebble Beach Golf Links is the most famous golf course in the US and one of the top in the world. The view from the 18th hole is said to be the be! st. I do n't golf so I'll never see that view.


From this point on, all my photos will be K's or my hub's because the photos I took were mistakenly erased. I'm still bummed about that.

We shared two platters of seafood.

K's fish--can't remember what fish.

Hub's fish.

FC's burger.

Yi's fish which I tasted, and it was very good.

I was very happy with my crab salad. It was fresh, del! icious a nd didn't leave me feeling too stuffed with greasy food. I think Nephew had the greasy fish and chips, not shown here.

(next, Carmel-by-the-sea)