Mother's Day Cake From Icing Room plus Giveaway

Photo credit: The Icing Room

This coming Mother's Day, The Icing Room introduce two special design cakes to pamper all mothers who plays the most important role in their family. These two elegance cakes are known as Perfect Mum (top) and Say It with Love (bottom) at a regular price of S$29.00 each which can be served up to 6.

And if you place your pre-order of the Mother's Day Cake(s) mentioned above from 02nd - 09th May 2013, you could also enjoy a 20% discount off plus received an adorable lollicake from The Icing Room.

Photo credit: The Icing Room

Perfect Mum - Strawberry cake made from classic vanilla chiffon and layered with strawberry mousse and jelly. 

Photo credit: The Icing Room

Say It with Love - Made from light and fluffy vanilla chiffon that filled with cocktail fruits and heavenly Chantilly cream which represent the tender sweetness that a mother showers on her children.

On top of that from 12th April 2013 onwards, lovely treats from The Icing Room would be made available from their new delivery website @http://theicingroomdelivery.com.sg/ so that it would be a breeze to order your cake(s) and get it delivered to your doorstep.

MOTHER'S DAY CAKE GIVEAWAY

Thanks to The Icing Room, we are giving away a voucher worth S$29.00 to 1 Lucky readers/followers of Cuisine Paradise to redeem the "Prefect Mum" Cake starting from 02 May - 09 May 2013.

To participate:-
1. LIKE and SHARE this photo on Facebook. (remember to leave a comment that you have liked and shared)

2. Leave a comment at this post sharing one of your favourite homecook dish that you wish to learn from your mum?

Terms And Conditions 
* This giveaway ends on Monday, 29 April 2013 (2.00pm, Singapore time).
* Only for readers living in SINGAPORE.
* Participants must follow the instructions mentioned above to be eligible for the giveaway.
* Please leave a valid email address when filling out the comment form so that we can contact you immediately if you are the winners.


[UPDATED ON:- 30 April 2013]

Matcha Cherry Blossom Chiffon Plus Giveaways

I love Cherry Blossom (Sakura) and it is always my dream that one day I would be able to enjoy a family picnic under the full bloom cherry blossom trees like those Japanese family do during the Cherry Blossom Festival (Hirosaki Sakura Matsuri). Although last year we went Tokyo during November (read more here) which it impossible to see any cherry blossom but we are bless to have Joyce who visited Osaka last week and shared her trip photos with us at Cuisine Paradise facebook page here.

Other than photos she also helps us to loop back some awesome cherry blossom products like Salt Pickled Cherry Blossoms which are pickled in salt and umezu (ume vinegar), Sakura Leaf Powder and etc which I am going to share with TWO lucky readers as our blog 8th Anniversary Giveaway #1. (refer to the participating details at the end of the post)

[Wordless Wednesday] Banana Chocolate Loaf With Nuts

Lemon Butter Cake With Chia Seeds & Pistachio Nuts

This Lunar New Year, I have come up with 2 similar cakes using orange and lemon rinds plus Chia Seeds to enhance the taste of the cakes. And for festive flavour, I also used dried longan (龙眼) which represent "many good son" and pistachio nuts (开心果) which is often given as a gift to symbolize health, happiness and good fortune.

[With Recipes] Lunar New Year Lunch Gathering With Relatives

This year mum and I decided to do a combined New Year lunch gathering to invite our relatives over for a festive lunch. We hope to take this opportunity to get touch and mingle with everyone since we seldom get a chance to eat together as a big group during normal days of the year.

Longan And Cranberry Yogurt Cake

Chinese New Year (CNY) usually cannot go without some auspicious cakes like Kueh Lapis Legit (千层糕), Kueh Baulu ((鸡蛋糕), Walnut Cake and etc. This year, I have come up with a something new apart from the usual CNY cake using "orange zest, dried longan, cranberry, chia seeds, yogurt and Cointreau" to bake this Longan And Cranberry Yogurt Cake for Chinese New Year.

{Christmas Bake} ABC Power Cake

I am sure for those who love fruit juice you would probably have tried the ABC (apple, beetroot and carrot) Detox Juice during one of your orders. But other than the juice, have you ever tried any cake which is made from ABC Juice and it's residues. If NO, here is a new recipe that I would like to share with you and it might come in handy for this Christmas season.

As Christmas is approaching, I wanted to bake something which has some festive feel like Mixed Fruit Cake, Ginger Bread, Cookies or etc. And the idea of this ABC Power Cake inspired me from my Okara Black Butter Cake which I have shared sometime back.

ABC POWER CAKE
(using Juice and Fruit Residues from Apple, Beetroot and Carrot)

This cake has a brownish red colour tone which similar to those Christmas mixed fruit cakes or sticky date pudding which we all loved. Furthermore this cake is light and fruity in flavour as compared to those traditional Christmas bakes which are loaded with spices and dried mixed fruits or chocolate. 

(Make: 2 tins (17cm x 8cm x 6cm) | Preparation: 10 minutes |  Baking: 45 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 180g Self-Raising Flour
• 20g Valrhona Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
• 4 Eggs (55g each)
• 200g Unsalted Butter
• 180g Castor Sugar
• 150g ABC Fruit Residues
• 50ml ABC Juice

Method:-
1. Preheat Oven to 170°C degree Celsius.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (beating with an electric mixer for about 4 - 5 minutes on medium speed).

3. Add in 1 egg at a time, beating well in between each additions. Beat in ABC Fruit Residues till combined (a few seconds).

4. Using a rubber spatula, fold in half the sifted flour mixture (careful not to over-stir or beat the mixture) and follow by ABC Juice and remaining flour.

5. Divide the batter into the prepared casing, bake the cake in preheated oven for 40 - 45 minutes or until a skewer insert in the middle and come out clean.

6. When cooked, remove cake from the oven, allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

This cake is very moist and perfumed with fruity flavour and aroma from the fruit juice and residues used and with each bite you could also taste a mild beetroot flavour in it. For a change from the usual traditional Christmas bake, perhaps this power cake would be something that you would love to share with your family or friends during this festive season. And for party or potluck idea, you could even bake this in small cupcake size, dust with icing sugar and decorate with Christmas cake toppers too.

Vanilla Mixed Fruit Log Cake From PrimaDeli

Christmas is another two weeks from now and a few days back I have received a Vanilla Mixed Fruit Log Cake complimentary from PrimaDéli. For a white Christmas this Vanilla Mixed Fruit Cake is a good alternative to the standard Chocolate variation. The harmonious combination of exotic fruit is generously spread between layers of fluffy vanilla sponge together with a smooth vanilla cream on the outer layer which keeps it light and yet enjoyable for your palate.

Besides the Vanilla Mixed Fruit Log Cake, PrimaDéli also offers another two range of Christmas Log Cakes for chocolate lover such as Blackforest Log Cake which featuring luscious layers of Chocolate sponge filled with juicy dark cherries, laced with fresh chocolate cream. Or you could the Truffle Log Cake which is a decadently rich chocolate sponge cake covered with velvety truffle cream. All the three log cakes comes in S$35.90 (Standard) or S$46.90 per kg.

The PrimaDéli’s Christmas 2012 Collection will be available at all PrimaDéli bakeries (outlets) from 17 November 2012 to 20 December 2012. Orders must be placed at least four working days at the various outlets prior to collection. Closing date for orders is 20 December 2012.  For general and corporate enquiries, you could call PrimaDéli’s hotline at 6276 3333 or visit www.primadeli.com for more details.

Thanks to PrimaDéli and Foreword Communications Pte Ltd for the complimentary Log Cake.

The Boxing Crab Seafood Restaurant At Sentosa, Underwater World

A week ago, together with couple of friends we visited The Boxing Crab Seafood Restaurant which is launched by Food Junction.  Nestled in the beautifully quaint stretch of Sentosa, the 250 seater (with both indoor and alfresco) restaurant overlooks the panoramic sea where patrons would be exhilarated by the sights of traversing cruise liners and ferries while dinning. On top of it, there are two VIP rooms which can accommodate up to 20 persons per room for Birthday or office functions too.

If you are looking for dining experience which is away from the hustle and bustle city life, perhaps the eclectic menu  (comes with mud crabs, swimmer crabs, flower crabs, prawns, garoupa, scallop and etc) from Boxing Crab plus affordable prices and variety of culinary styles (Chinese, Balinese or Western) would be a great consideration.

Pastry And Cake Counter plus Open Concept Kitchen View

Other than serving seafood or ala carte dishes, The Boxing Crab also cater Quick Lunch Set features dishes such as Roasted Sirloin, Lamb Korma, Grilled Portobello Mushrooms, Scramble Egg Croissant and etc.

Pastry and Cake which display over at the dessert counter

During teatime, the restaurant also offers Afternoon Tea Menu such as: Waffles, Pancakes and Crepes with toppings of fresh fruits and single scoop of ice cream of your choice. Or you could make your choice from the Ala Carte afternoon snacks like pies, tarts, sandwiches, cakes and etc to go with a cup of premium coffee or tea.

Stimulator (back) and Detox(front)

The restaurant also has a FULL page of Beverage choices ranging from Smoothie, Fruit Juice, Soft Drinks, Coffee/Tea to Beer, Champagne, Wine and etc. For something different, we tried some of their smoothies which are:-

~ Energy Enhancer : Consists of juices from Orange, Pineapple, Lemon, Kiwifruit, Passionfruit together with Yogurt, Ginseng and Honey

~ Stimulator : Consists of juices from Orange, Pineapple, Lemon, Kiwifruit, together with Ginger and Honey

~ Detox : Consists of juices from Apple, Celery, Beetroot and Ginseng.

My choice was Stimulator which blends well with the choice of fruits used leaving you with a cross between sweet and sour after taste. And when sipping the you could also taste bits of ginger which spicy up the taste too. All smoothies are at S$7.00 per serving.

For appetizer, we had Otah Otah Cigar (S$12.00) which was crispy on the outside and piping hot with otah filling inside. The otah within is not too spicy or dry and overall the "spring-roll" like finger food was also not too oily to taste.

{Must Try}The Steamed Bamboo Clam with Minced Garlic (market price) was steamed to perfection with the flavor of the meat being locked in with a small serving of vermicelli in dark soy sauce. Furthermore the bamboo clam meat is well-cooked and tender with some amount of fragrant minced garlic on it leaving you asking for more.

For the main courses we started with the Charcoal Grilled Snapper (S$28.00) which accompany with 3 different types of dipping chilli sauce .  The fish used is very fresh and it is slightly charred on the outer skin with chunks of white meats underneath but the only setback was certain parts of it tends to be a bit dry and tough. Other than fish, you could also choose from their seafood range such as Prawn, Squid or Clam. 

{Must Try} I have tried Salted Egg Crab With Pumpkin from other seafood restaurants before but this Braised Claypot Crab with Superior Broth and Pumpkin (market price) from Boxing Crab was indeed a hit and something special that you should try.  The unique flavor of mixing superior broth with pumpkin gives it a rich flavour with thick golden sauce that compliments well with the fresh steamed crab. Almost all of us love the pumpkin sauce which we can't stop sipping on it.

{Must Try} We also tried Caramelized Spicy Crab (market price) which is a good choice for those who prefer something non-spicy as compared to the usual Black Pepper Crab but yet filled with similar wok-hei flavour and flavourable caramelized taste.  The first taste of the dish reminds me of another hawker food that is the "Black Fried Carrot Cake" because both of these two dishes have similar after taste.

For tables with "Crab" orders, there would be a set of "surgery tools" (shown above) which consists of Gloves and Utensils to make picking the crab meat easier. If you want to keep clean while eating those crabs, there are also Aprons available for your used.

Overall their crabs are indeed very fresh with firm, thick  and juicy flesh which is naturally sweet and flavoursome with the choices of cooking methods.

Seafood Mee Goreng (S$25.00, medium) was delicious with the right amount of spiciness and flavour together with the combination of fresh seafood which is heavenly enough to whet everyone's appetites.

DESSERT

After the meal, if you still have room for dessert you could pick a choice from their dessert column where they served both Asian and Western desserts such as cakes, waffles, ice-cream, yam paste with gingko nuts, warm almond cream and even pan-fried water chestnut cakes and etc.

Below are a few dessert items that we have tried and most of us prefer the Tropic Pineapple Sorbet which is an interesting dessert that combined both sight and taste satisfaction. Whereas if you have sweet tooth, go for either Meringue with Chantilly Cream or Catalana Cream with Caramelized Sugar.

Meringue with Chantilly Cream (S$8.90)

Traditional Sicillian Cannoli with Sweetened Ricotta (S$11.90)

Tropic Pineapple Sorbet (S$11.90)

Yam Paste with Gingo Nuts (S$5.00)

If you intend to try out their yummy "Crabs" with over 10 different cooking selection, here is a Good Deal for you to enjoy the 1-For-1 Crabs promotion which ends 30 November 2012.

(1) 'Like' Boxing Crab facebook page HERE.
(2) 'Share' the 1-for-1 crabs promotion with your friends
(3) Print out the coupon and show them your facebook that you've liked them
(4) Enjoy your crabs

For more information, you cal call The Boxing Crab at (65)6274 7760 or visit their Facebook page HERE for more details.

THE BOXING CRAB
80 Siloso Road
(Sentosa Island, behind Underwater World)
Singapore 098969
Reservation: (65)6274 7760

Opening Hours
11:00am to 11:00pm (Daily)

15% Off Choco-Durian Cakes @ Emicakes

For the month of November, Emicakes has launched the Choco-Durian cake which sandwich creamy D24 Durian in between fluffy chocolate sponge and covered with a layer of rich chocolate ganache. And if you order this month you could even get a 15% OFF for the 15-20cm sizes (while stocks last).

Cross Section of the Choco-Durian Cake

As you could see the cake is laced with generous amount of D24 Durian between layers of light chocolate sponge which embraced with smooth and semi-sweet chocolate ganache which makes it a "heavenly" combo for Chocolate and Durian lovers.

Thanks to Janina from Emicakes who sent us this delicious Choco-Durian Cake which combines  two of my most favourite ingredients in one.

{Photo Credits to Emicakes} They even have Choco-Durian Logcake for Christmas too!

The Choco-Durian Cake is available in all Emicakes outlets (location here) and you could either call 6749 6782 or visit their website to place your order.

Orange Pound Cake With Cranberry And Raisin

When I shared this pound cake photo over at facebook and instagram, some readers actually enquire what's the different between "pound and butter cake". To simplify it, Pound Cake is usually dense with only liquid from the eqqs and the flavor is mainly butter or extra citrus rinds or vanilla extract. Whereas for Butter Cake contains fat (butter, margarine, shortening) and leavener such as baking powder or self-raising flour for their fluffy texture and flavour.

Apple, Oat And Walnut Crumble Slice

Apples are beautiful fruits that can be used in both dishes and bakes. For our family, I often use it to make Apple Tea or Double-boiled Apple With Gingko Nut and you could read more on my collection of apple recipes(here). In order to show my support for Bosch "Apple-tizing" Health Recipe Contest 2012, I decided to make this health Apple, Oat & Walnut Crumble Slice with added Chia seeds which is an amazing ingredient that loaded with lots of health benefits.

Following the successful debut of the Bosch cooking contest in 2011(read more here), this year they are having Bosch ‘Apple-tizing’ Cooking Contest 2012 which is open for entries till 31 October 2012.

To particular, you must own either a Bosch Kitchen Machines or Food Processors in order to submit a healthy recipe using APPLES (submit via Bosch Singapore website here). After which the six best entries will be shortlisted to compete in a cook-off contest on 22 December 2012 using their own Bosch appliance.

So if you have either one of the mentioned Bosch appliance(s) maybe you could consider to send in your "secret recipe" featuring Apples and your Bosch appliance. For your information, Grand prize winner gets "A pair of economy tickets to Germany (plus $1,000 allowance)".

APPLE, OAT AND WALNUT CRUMBLE SLICE

Here for my buttery pastry I have added some cinnamon powder instead of mixed spice and as for the filling I choose Granny Smith Apples and golden rinse to balance the sweet and sour taste. And to create a crunchy texture with healthier toppings, I choose Organic Rolled Oats, Walnuts and Chia Seeds to go with the buttery crumbs. 

(Make: 16 x 26cm pan | Preparation: 15 minutes | Baking: 20 minutes + 35 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups (340g) All Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup (60g) Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder/Mixed Spice, optimal
180g Unsalted Butter, chopped
2 Tablespoons Ice Water

Apple Mixture:
4 - 5 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, diced
1 Tablespoon Caster Sugar
Rind of 1 Lemon, optional
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/3 Cup (60g) Golden Raisin
1/3 Cup (35g) Rolled Oats
1/3 Cup (45g) Walnut Nuts, chopped
2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds, optional

Method:-
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (degree Celsius). Grease a 3cm deep, 16cm x 26cm brownie pan and line it with baking paper, allowing 2cm overhang on all sides.

2. Process flour, brown sugar, butter and spice(if using) in Bosch MCM 4 food processor until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

3. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons chilled water and process until mixture just comes together to form a dough (adding more water if required).

4. Wrap 3/4 cup dough in cling wrap and refrigerate until firm. Press remaining dough using fingers tips or spatula evenly into the tin and bake it in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until pastry turns golden in colour. Remove and set aside to cool.

5. Next add apples, caster sugar, lemon rind and juice in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved.

6. Increase heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until apple is soft. Allow mixture to cool completely before stirring in raisin.

7. Spoon apple mixture over pastry base. Coarsely grate chilled dough into a bowl with rolled oat, walnut and chai seeds mixture then gently stir to combine.

8. Sprinkle dough mixture over apple mixture. Bake in 180°C (degree Celsius) for 35 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool completely in pan before sliced.

Baking is like doing science where we tends to experiment with different recipes and ingredients in our pantry. So according to your preference, you may choose to replace walnut with almond or chia seeds with black sesame seeds or anything that is available in your pantry.

Actually Apple Crumble is not difficult to make, and you could even prepare the pastry dough or apple filling a head ahead. You could serve your Apple Crumble wither hot or cold with ice cream, cream or custard. Love mine with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream!

Below are some recipes that I have tried using BOSCH MCM 4100 food processor.

ABC Detox Juice	Lemon Berry Tarts	Baked Lemon Cheesecake