Pulau Tioman, 21-23 Mar 2009

Photos first....details of the trip later!

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Doesn't the Sydney Harbour Bridge look kinda nice in this mosaic? Click on pic to see the details. I've made used of all my brisbane/sydney photos in the mosaic.

I'm dreaming of spicy sweet pork chops

Today is officially the first day of my diet. Not planning to starve myself thin but I'm just gonna stick to more vegetables and fruits and less meat/carbs for the next couple of weeks. It's more for health reasons than wanting to look good. A recent chat over dinner with SN and XY made me realised that I really should start taking care of my health as I'm not young anymore =P

Although I'm not a big meat-eater, I do love my red/white meats. Now that I'm off meats, I can only look at my past photos and salivate =P~~ Here's a photo of the recent pork chops that I had made for dinner...it was absolutely delish! For you lucky people who aren't on diet, I've provided the recipe for the chops. It's so easy to make.

Ingredients:
· 4 x 3/4-inch pork loin chops
· 1 tablespoon brown sugar
· 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/4 teaspoon cumin
· 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:
Mix dry ingredients together. Thoroughly rub spice mixture over the entire surface of each pork chop. Let the marinated chops stand at room temperature for at least 30min (I usually leave it to marinate for 1-2hrs). Heat up the frying pan and some oil. Panfry for 8 to 10 minutes over a medium fire. Flip the chops frequently to ensure even cooking. Serve with sides.

Top 10 most expensive cities to live in

1. Tokyo
2. Osaka/Kobe
3. Paris
4. Copenhagen
5. Oslo
6. Zurich
7. Frankfurt
8. Helsinki
9. Geneva
10. Singapore

11. Hong Kong
12. Vienna
13. Dublin
23. New York
27. London
90. Kuala Lumpur

I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the above list in the papers. While I do realise that the cost of living is quite high in Singapore, I hadn't known that it's that HIGH! How can it possibly cost more to live in Singapore than in places like New York or London?! Food and public transport seems much more affordable in Singapore than in NYC/London. Perhaps Singapore's exorbitant property prices is what's bringing us to the top 10 position?

So I googled for the 2009 list of the world's most expensive property markets and here's what I found:

1. Monte Carlo
2. Moscow
3. London
4. Tokyo
5. Hong Kong
6. New York
7. Paris
8. Singapore
9. Rome
10. Mumbai

Well, average property prices in NYC/London are still higher than in Singapore based on the ranking.....so how on earth is Singapore a costlier place to live in if not for cost of housing, food or public transport? What am I missing here?

As a Singaporean...I'm not sure if I should feel proud that we made it to the top 10 or that I should be real worried. Perhaps it's time RG and I revisit the idea of moving to a cheaper place like Malaysia (KL is only 90th on the most expensive cities list!)!

Super moist and fudgy brownie

Yesterday I mentioned this brownie recipe over dinner and LY has requested for it. Now that she's a tai-tai and has time on her hand, I hope she'll be able to bake more often for her family and visiting families/friends when she's overseas.

This recipe is dedicated to LY - my good friend. I wish her all the best in Lahore and I will miss her dearly!

Super fudgy brownie baked in silicon muffin cups

Ingredients:

170gm baking chocolate (70-100% cocoa content) *I usually use Lindt 70%/85% cocoa or Hershey's 100% cocoa baking bar*

225gm salted butter (room temperature)

4 large eggs (60-70gm per egg)

380gm of fine sugar *can vary according to indiv taste*

1 tablespoon vanilla extract *note that vanilla extract usually contains alcohol*

65gm all-purpose flour

Semi-sweet chocolate chips *can vary according to indiv taste*

Method:

Preheat oven to 150 degree celscius (temperature can vary with different ovens). Grease a 8"x8" baking pan and line with baking sheet.

Break baking chocolate into smaller pieces and combine chocolate and butter in a heavy-based saucepan to melt over a gentle flame. Stir constantly until chocolate and butter are almost melted. Do not overheat.

Remove chocolate and butter mixture from stove and stir until smooth.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 5 minutes.

Slowly add in sugar and blend on low speed until thoroughly combined.

Add vanilla and chocolate & butter mixture to the egg & sugar mixture and blend on low until evenly mixed. Do not overbeat.

Add the flour and fold in gently till well combined.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and sprinkle chocolate chips uniformly onto the batter.

Place the baking pan on the centre rack and bake for 45-55 minutes.

Test the batter for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the centre. The toothpick SHOULD NOT come out clean but with slight moisture/batter still stuck to it if you like the brownie super fudgy like I do.

Do not overbake the brownie lest it turns too dry/hard or the top becomes burnt.

Remove the brownie from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature.

Put the brownie in the refrigerator for at least an hour before cutting into small bite-size pieces.

Comments:

This is my MOST FAVORITE brownie recipe having tried so many in the past. It is super fudgy yet the top is nice and crusty - 101% indulgence (102% sinful)! And add a scope of ice-cream to it and you'd think you've died and gone to heaven. Just try it and let me know what you think.