Eating In Eating Out

Most of the time here in Singapore, we cook at home but after a while with two not-so-experienced cooks, I quite miss eating out.  Jason has a lot more experience than me in cooking but I crave meals from other countries and other types of cuisines as well.  My experience in the kitchen is a lot less than him and I like experimenting with recipes from the internet.  However, after a few botched trials and pathetic results, I felt like throwing in the towel.  What held me back from giving up were the prospect of getting it right, improving on previous failures and expanding the repertoire of what we eat.  

One of my and my mom's favorite place is the Salad Stop where they serve a dizzying variety of veggies in salad or wrap form.  Jason and I like trying out the hawker's stalls and we've had both good and bad forays but at least we save money.  There was also a place that looked like a hawker's stall but with restaurant prices and the food was great.  Our family favorite is a Korean hotpot-grill-buffet where you can order through a computer screen menu and Joshua can have all the ice cream he wants after.   

My turn at cooking yielded some passable, some good and some sorry results.  One time, it took almost two hours of preparation time and the food except for the tofu, was barely edible.  That was when I wanted to quit but then I couldn't because I wanted more variety in home meals.  Twice, I prepared for a picnic and my pasta sauce-making skills was so lacking (sauce with the consistency of cottage cheese!) and I ended up buying ready made sauce.   I still can't get the white cream sauce correct, which thankfully Joshua is not aware of since he gobbles up the cheesy pasta no matter how wrong the texture.  The second picnic time, there was an improvement so I can only look forward to the third try.

     

                                      

                                      

Here are the fruits of Jason's efforts and labor of love.   Quite touching.  The bottom line is, despite my complaints and hankering for other types of food, I am one lucky wife.

                                      
                                      
Joshua likes to join in the cooking spree trying to assist in any way he can like cutting cheese for an omelette or stirring the Maya hotcake mix.  We discovered a new Filipino favorite of his via Lucky Plaza Singapore -- champorado!   How could I forget such a no-brainer staple for kids?

The question of how to merge conflicting needs of husband and wife when it comes to food was still jostling in my mind, disturbing my peace.  He wants to cook at home because it's cleaner, healthier, cheaper and she wants to dine out because she wants to eat more for the baby in the womb and doesn't want to constantly scrimp on meals.  The solution?  Go gaga at the grocery stores!

Libraries and Parks Oh My!

Two "I must have died and gone to heaven" moments occurred to me yesterday Sunday. Parts of my vision of heaven are composed of huge libraries and parks, and Singapore has taken those two favorite havens to higher levels.  Imagine a public library on the fifth floor of a mall -- not just a token space but a generous one overflowing with a wide range of choices, books and magazines in different languages actively used by people comfortably ensconced in reading nooks for children and adults.  There are interactive programs and we caught one teaching kids traditional games like sungka.  Joshua was enthralled by the exhibit on fishes and we almost could not drag him out of the library when he fell in love with a book detailing a construction site's activities for a year.  

More than eight years ago, we lived in Singapore for a month and my brother and I used to enjoy rollerblading at the East Coast Park.  I was single then and thought that a month in the tiny, tiny territory of Singapore was much too long, claustrophobic almost and I couldn't wait to get back to Manila.  But now with hubby and kid, it's just a place of joy and fun with the endless playgrounds, parks and well-designed streets.

Jason, Joshua and I went to the West Coast Park since it's only a short bus stop away from where we live.  At first, we struggled at boarding the bus with a wheelchair but we eventually figured the system out with ever-ready helpful bus drivers.   And the park was pure bliss!  Ziplines for free, innovative seesaws, superbly designed climbing structures to challenge all levels of adventurers and fast pedal go-karts for rent!   Jason indulged in his outdoor fantasy driving us around the park going crazy over a zigzaggy road designed for competitive go-karting that was hardly used by anyone so we had it all to ourselves.    

When will the Philippines have libraries and parks like these?  Is it too much to ask of an economically grappling country?  Are only developed countries with great fiscal condition and accountable governments the ones that can breed such great public spaces?  Realistically speaking, these perks are a function of economic success and till we reach that level, we can only be content with what private developers like SM can provide (how terribly sad) while we envy other countries' hard-earned assets.  It's something you live with or kill yourself trying to change or more optimistically, strategically align yourself with others to improve and alter.   

Streets of Wonder

Preparing for our three-month stay in Singapore, I searched the internet and the Lonely Planet guide marking the many sights we'd visit.  After a couple of weeks, I realized there is no rush or need to squeeze in the places to see because there's plenty to appreciate and experience in ordinary neighborhoods and streets minus the effort to clog up the calendar with things to do.  

Joshua brings so much joy and wonder to seemingly mundane street scenes, increasing his vocabulary to boot as he points out his favorite cranes, backhoes, construction equipment and drainage canals proudly calling them "mine."  The Singapore government admirably maintains the streets, parks and landscaping so it's not uncommon to see tree branch trimmers hoisted high above the leafy sources of shade and oxygen.  The still maniacal dash to construct residences, offices and malls ensures constant entertainment for Joshua who loves Bob the Builder, Handy Manny and everything related to construction work.  

Care and love goes into the detailing of public spaces whether it be a private or public development.  Benches are venues for sculptural expression while public sculptures delight both eye and spirit.  Government housing playgrounds are easily accessible to anyone.

We thought Joshua was tired already but as soon as he spotted these hilly bumps incorporated into the pavement, he ran, an unstoppable packet of adrenaline.

My friend, Lani who's been living for years in Singapore gave this tip for bargain hunters like us -- flea markets on certain Sundays of the month.  We got chopsticks, toys and books for a few dollars although we didn't find the wok we wanted.  Lani also suggested the Cash Converter stores where people sell stuff they don't need.

This is the private condo where my friend JP lives with a series of super kid-friendly swimming pools.

Just by the food stalls near our home, Joshua the scientist caps the day off by experimenting with a plastic drinking straw how much weight can an insect carry.

From Market to Kitchen

After going to two groceries - Fair Price and Cold Storage, it's quite traumatic experiencing high Singapore food prices so we had to make our way to the wet market.  On-board our now favored mode of transportation - the wheelchair operated by the 20-horse power hubby, we reached the market via long route but figured out the shortcut after that.  Whatever the route, it's always pleasant because the jungle-forest-tropical-paradise is woven into the urban fabric.  

Jason did most of the purchasing and concluded that the stall vendor outside was more honest than the ones inside.  We loaded the back of the wheelchair with fresh produce before heading for lunch.    

As the early riser, I'm the one always cooking breakfast and have done toasted wheat bread with eggs, fried rice and recently a series with garlic rice paired with luncheon meat one morning and salted fish and tomatoes the next day.

For lunch and dinner, Jason and I alternate every two meals.  For his turn, he did our much-missed hotpot with majiang (peanut sauce) but we still have yet to find where to get super thinly slice lamb like in northern China.  Next, he did a deliciously healthy fish soup.

For my turn, I did an Asian meal of steamed shrimp and stir fried vegetables, mushroom and tofu and followed that up with a Western meal of basil mustard chicken wings, buttered carrots and asparagus with cheddar pasta.  These kitchen forays taught me a whole lot of lessons:

1.  Don't over-steam the veggies or else they'll be too soggy when you stir fry.  It was my fault because I left the kitchen to go on the internet while the broccoli and carrots were in the steamer.  Of course, I lingered a few minutes too long.

2.  Don't be afraid to use the oven.  I've always been afraid to use the oven but from today onwards will be braver.  I burned the walnuts and chicken skin but the insides weren't cooked in the pan so had no choice but put them into the oven.  The marinade worked its magic and the wings tasted good but I couldn't save the walnuts.

3.  Anything from an oven must be handled with extra care.  Folded cloth is not enough.  A burned finger should always remind me.

4.  Figure out how to do the pasta sauce texture right or else pity your family who eats your experiment!

Jason did another healthy yummy soup for his following turn.  He used ginseng and this magical worm from Tibet that's supposed to work wonders for one's body.  I didn't like the way it tasted like a twig but the soup was wonderful and hopefully the worm's nutrients have been absorbed.  He also did our favorite "tudou si" which are thin potato strips in a vinegary concoction well-loved in homes across Jason's part of China.  

I've noticed that Jason truly just loves food exclusively coming from Northern China while food from elsewhere pales in comparison and he doesn't eat as heartily when it's another type of cuisine.  So when my turn came up, although I love doing western dishes like the salmon with herb buttered rice and cheddar-asparagus noodles, I did a typical Chinese dish of cucumber and scrambled eggs.

I'm so happy to get the chicken wings baked with much improvement because I popped them into the oven without fear or hesitation.  Skin got burned but next time, I know what to do so this doesn't happen.  Jason, Joshua and I were happy with the rich flavor plus I did a spicy version especially for dear hubby. The pasta sauce texture also came out better by cooking it separately instead of folding it over the noodles as it mixes.

The stir-fry vegetables is still hard to master.  I can't get them to not be soggy although the flavor is okay.  It's a matter of experience, timing and with more and more trials in our domesticated Singapore life, I'll get it right one of these days!