Oook!

One of my first entries to this blog was a list about the 60 signs you've been in Singapore too long. Now I came across another list about Singapore. The Time Magazine is listing "10 Things to Do in 24 Hours". They start of their article by stating "Singaporeans moan that besides shopping, dining and the movies, there's not a lot you can do here." So let's see what they recommend and is not about shopping and eating:

1. Visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens and then have a "traditional local breakfast of soft-boiled eggs, coffee and toast slathered with coconut jam." I have to admit that I still need to visit this place, I never managed to drop by there.

2. Artwork at the Ritz-Carlton: Since I am not into art, I shall not comment here, but this is not about shopping or eating, so I award 1 point.

3. Chinatown Heritage Center: Valid choice, but it is located in the middle of Chinatown. Which is mostly about souvenirs and food. Wonder why Singapore has a separated Chinatown while most of the people in Singapore are of ethnic Chinese...

4. Plastic Surgery: That is certainly a must-NOT-do for me on my next stop over. I find even the idea of this crazy. "And then adjourn downstairs for snapper pie." Great, get your Botox fix and then eat.

The Mensa is not only an organization for smart people, but also the common name for the big canteens at German universities. Their task is usually to provide good and cheap food to the students. However, a common rule is that the food always sounds better than it actually tastes. Since I am back from Taiwan, I only went once there so far. And what was on the menu: Nasi Goreng. If you look at the picture, I am sure you will understand why I have been so disappointed with it. If you do not understand, just look at the pictures of proper Nasi Goreng.

I like to drink sweet soft drinks. I think I often like to drink them a little too much, so I actually try to cut down on it. But sometimes there are some flavors that you just want to taste again, but they are not available anymore. Fanta Mango is one of these flavors. I still can remember it drinking it when I was young, but it is a very blurred memory. It has not been available in Germany for many years, but is currently or soon released again as a special edition for a limited time, In other countries however, it is rather constantly available. I also found out that there are peach and pineapple flavors. And since Mango, peach and pineapple are my favorite fruits, I guess I will have to look out for these other flavors while I travel (even though here in Asia they might contain higher sugar levels to appeal to the local taste).

Oh and since I am not the only German missing the Fanta Mango flavor, here is the campaign site to bring it back as a constant flavor to the shelves: www.free-fanta-mango.de.

Hmm, looking at the available flavors, I also want to try cherry and a few others. But flavors like Cinnemon Rum sound really really strange...

In school I learned that there are four different tastes: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Now apparently there is a fifth taste: umami and there is the discussion if fatty is a taste as well.

For those wondering about spicy: It is not a taste, it is an activation of heat thermo- and chemosensitive sensors in your mouth.

via Wikipedia

PS: Hmm, if fatty is recognized as a taste, will Eric Cartman then say "I am not fat, I am tasty!?

There is McDonald's nearby that is open 24 hours. Sometimes when I am late in the office and too lazy to walk far, I tend to go there. Tonight, I also wanted to get a little midnight snack. But I had to find out that even they close to clean the floor. Wondering if that is happening every night. Other students were sitting and waiting outside for them to finish cleaning.

I just went to the 7/11 store that was 30m down the road and is also open for 24hrs.

I hope the translated name does not refer to the ingredients...

Besides the lottery with your shopping receipts, there is another special kind of lottery for all those not able to read traditional Chinese. Most of the eating places here have no display or picture of their meals, usually only a list displayed with what they offer. But this list is written in traditional Chinese. And if You cannot speak the language well enough or have a heavy accent when doing so, all you can do is either ask for help or play the "Dinner lottery".


How to play?



Well, usually when you enter such a place, you pick up a sheet of paper where all the meal options are listed. At other places these are provided at the tables. On these sheets, the people write down their table number and mark what they want to eat. To play the Dinner Lottery, one simply marks something on this list and then hand in the ticket. If the food that you get is tasty, you win, if not, you loose.

Usually I do not like it when there is too much ginger in a dish, somehow, I always feel there is a kind of soapy taste to it. The only exception to this is pickled ginger that is served along with sushi usually. I really like to snack on it. And even though it is probably easy to prepare, there is still a wide range of recipes out there (I filtered out the most fancy ones already).

Let's have a look at the suggested ingredients of various versions:

Ingredients
- Ginger:      100g         / 250g        / 100g        / 200g
- Salt:        1 teaspoons  / -           / 1 teaspoon  / 1 teaspoon 
- Sugar:       6 teaspoons  / 5 teaspoons / 6 teaspoons / 6 teaspoons
- Rice vinegar: 125 ml      / 90ml        / 125ml       / 100 ml
- Water:       60ml         / -           / 250ml       / - 

Good to know that Google can even convert the measurements tablespoon, teaspoon and cup. Looks like the amount of marinade is rather independent of the amount of ginger - just needs to be enough. Since there are some watered down versions, I guess it is ok to add water in case one needs more marinade.

1. Preparation:
- Pell the ginger
- Slice it into thin pieces

2. (optional ?)
- Cover with salt
- Leave it for 10 - 60min

3. Blanching
- Blanch the salted ginger for 30-60sec in boiling water

4. Mix
- Mix the vinegar with sugar and if applicable salt and water
- Stir till sugar has dissolved

5. Marinate
- Place the ginger and the marinade in a covered container for at least 1 - 48 hrs (let's just say one day)

6. Enjoy


I shall try the whole thing later tonight. Now I gotta get back to work.

Today - or rather yesterday since it is 2am already - I was making sushi at home maki to be exact. Pretty proud of myself to manage it this time without expert advice.

And I involved my parents into as well. Everything worked out quite well, just the rice was difficult to spread out onto the nori... wonder why and to make that easier...







Hmm... feeling like getting a midnight snack from the fridge

I think I would like to try out these things just for the fun of it. There is a certain novelty factor to it.

1.) Making Icecream
2.) Making Omlette

...and both using ZipLock-bags.

Of course it is not my own creative mind that came up with that, but let's see what ideas I might have in the future.

1.) Icecream

Needed things:
- Milk: 1cup
- Sugar: 1 tablespoon
- Vanilla: 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla (Not sure if the aromatic liquid or the spice itself is meant, I guess it is the first one)
- Ice: cubed or crushed, but make sure it is enough
- Salt: 4-6 tablespoons
- Small ziplock bag to contain the milk, sugar and vanilla
- Bigger ziplock bag to contain the ice, salt and the smaller bag

ToDo:
- Milk, sugar and vanilla into the smaller bag (and do not forget to close it tightly)
- Smaller bar, ice and salt then into the bigger bag
- Shake for 5+ minutes, making sure that the ice is well mixed with salt and it is nicely all around the smaller bag
- Enjoy and clean up

2.) Omlette

Well, first I let the pictures speak for themselves:



Needed stuff:
- Eggs: Amount depending on your appetite
- Ziplock bag: 1 per omlette (Guess you can also reuse - up to you)
- Variety of ingredients: Onions, Tomatoes, Bread, Cheese, Gummibears,... (erm... maybe better forget the last one, but tell me if you decide to try it anyway...)
- Spices: Pepper, Salt, Nutmeg... whatever you like

ToDo:
- Mix everything in the bag
- Boil everything in water in a pot for 10-13 minutes
- Enjoy

I would bet that I can find a lot more in this book:

Kochbuch für Geeks (Cookbook for Geeks) published by O´Reilly.