ToTT-ful Christmas Sale

Christmas is just about 3 weeks around the corner and from now till 25 December 2012. During this period ToTT Christmas Sale not only features exciting new products in the store but also their promotions on bundled Christmas Gift Sets, 50% discounts on selected Cooking Classes as well as their exciting new Christmas Menu (shown below) at the ToTT Bistro.

Below are some of brief run through and highlights on ToTT Christmas Sale but you could read up more on their website here.

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Pizza Perfector (UP S$249.00; Sale Price: S$199.00) from Theo And Co is a new addition to ToTT store with it's easy‐to‐use, electronic, countertop pizza cooker which designed and used by master pizza chef, Theo Kalogeracos.

This electric pizza oven features a rotating tray with an upper and lower heating element for even cooking. On top of that, it also comes with an automatic timer switches which off when the pizza is done in approximately 10 minutes in order to ensure flawlessly cooked pizza.

EXCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS GIFT SETS

And for this Christmas, ToTT has put together bundled Christmas Gift Sets, which feature up to 50% Discount, to cater to individuals with different cooking and hosting preferences.

Under the Cook Gift Sets, the bundled set of IMPERIA Noodle Maker and IBILI Raviolis Cutter shown above (UP: S$77.90, Sale Price: S$54.40) is ideal for budding pasta makers who can show off their pasta dishes during this festive season.

Whereas on the other hand, you have SUNNEX (HK) Aluminum Roasting Dish with ZYLISS SWITZERLAND) Baster with Syringe and Cooking String Roll (UP S$39.20; Sale Price: S$27.00) which is a perfect Christmas gift for roasting feast this festive season.

I am sure this ZYLISS (SWITZERLAND) Salad Spinner with Salad Knife and WESTMARK (GERMANY) Dressing Shaker (UP S$58.90; Sale Price S$41.00) would be a great helper to you while preparing some salad to go with the Christmas Roast or potluck party.

Furthermore, during the Christmas Sale period, ToTT members and DBS/POSB credit card holders are also entitled to enjoy 50% Discount Off (Usual S$118.00) selected cooking classes held onsite. More details of the schedules and classes can be found here.

CHRISTMAS MENU AT TOTT'S BISTRO

From now to 25 December 2012, ToTT Bistro has specially prepared 4 delgithful Christmas dishes shown below to whet your appetite at affordable price of ONLY S$8.50 each. I am already eying on the "Roast Pork Belly with Cranberry Sauce" which I am going to try it once it is available in their bistro.

Turkey Pastrami Pizza

Zucchini And Tomato Spaghetti (Vegetarian)

Roast Pork Belly with Cranberry Sauce

Lamb Stew with Mashed Potato

So do head down to ToTT if you are looking for some kitchenware or gift sets this coming Christmas as I am sure there is something that suits your preference.

ToTT
896 Dunearn Road
01-01A
Singapore 589472
Telephone: (65) 62197077


Store Operating Hours:
Mon - Fri: 11.00am - 9.00pm
Sat, Sun And PH: 10:00am - 9:00pm

Bistro Operating Hours:
Mon - Fri: 10.30am - 9.00pm
Sat, Sun And PH: 9:30am - 9:00pm


Note: All related photos and products information and pricing in this post are credited to ToTT and FoodNews.

Pancakemisu Using Gold Kili Double Shot White Coffee

Good Morning Everyone! Hope you have a great Monday. If you have not taken your breakfast and still wonder what to prepare for today perhaps you would like to try making this "Pancakemisu" which would be ready in less than 15 minutes time!

As we are in the month of December and Christmas is just around the corner I am sure you are into festive mood just like what we do too. And since pancakes are always one of our family's staple food which I would rotate different flavour at least once or twice a week, I decided to make something new for this festive season.

Voyager Of The Seas - Royal Caribbean International [Shore Excursions At Phuket]

Phuket has long been luring tourists to it's drop dead gorgeous beaches and dramatic bay scenery. It is also Thailand's most famous island destination for vacation from around the world. Apart from all the new developments, Phuket's natural wonders are still the main attractions where beaches, rainforest trek or boat ride to Phi Phi Island and etc are the must try or do for tourists.

And after a day in the sun, you could also pamper yourself with traditional Thai massage to experience this ancient art of healing.

Voyager Of The Seas - Royal Caribbean International [Shore Excursions At Malaysia]

First of all, this is a very over due post which I have no time to finish after my last two posts(here) on our 6 days Voyager Of The Seas Cruise Trip during June school holiday. Along the journey there were 3 ports of call whereby we stopover at Port Klang, Penang (Malaysia) And Phuket(Thailand). Since on board I am very excited to visit Penang as I have heard and read a lot of good reviews on their food especially Penang Laska, Cha Kway Teow and Bak Kut Teh.

In this post, I would like to share with you some of the places and food that we tried during our Penang stopover.

Black Sesame Paste With Almonds Using Cuisinart Hot And Cold Blender

Black Sesame Paste is one of the common dessert found in dessert chain outlets such as Ah Chew Desserts, Dessert Hut, Er Gu Dessert (二姑糖水) and etc. And some believe that by consuming black sesame paste it also helps to nourish the blood, lubricate the intestines and clear "wind" in the stomach too.

On the down side, for those suffer from spleen troubles, diarrhoea or loose stools should avoid over-consumption of these small seeds.

BLACK SESAME PASTE WITH ALMONDS

After the previous recipes on Broccoli And Spinach Soup, Pumpkin And Meat Porridge; this post I would be sharing another quick Asian dessert which I am sure most of you would love it. The consistency of this Black Sesame Paste could be adjust with additional 100 - 150ml more of water during cooking if you prefer a more dilute and watery paste.

(Serves: 4 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:
150g Black Sesame Seeds
50g Uncooked Rice
4 Cups (1000ml) Water
150g Caster Sugar/Rock Sugar
1 Stalk Pandan Leave, knotted
50g Roasted Almonds, roughly chopped

Method:-
1. Pre-soaked the rice for at least 30 minutes, drain well and set aside.

2. Rinse the black sesame seeds, drain well and pan-fry till completely dry and fragrant.

3. Place sesame seeds and rice into Cuisinart Hot And Cold Blender glass jug together with water. Set the timer to 20 minutes, blend the mixture for 30 seconds using SPEED 1.

4. Next add in pandan leave and sugar, bring the mixture to boil on HIGH for 5 minutes before switching it to SIMMER and continue to cook until end of the cycle.

5. When everything is cooked, remove the "pandan leave" and PULSE the mixture twice or more to achieve your desire texture.

6. Ladle Black Sesame Paste between serving bowls, garnish with roasted almonds and serve immediately.

To serve you could top it with some roasted almond to enhance the taste or even with a scoop of Vanilla Ice-cream if you are open to some adventure new combination. Till then I would update more recipes such as "Watermelon Granita", "Porridge", "Bolognese Sauce" using Cuisinart Hot And Cold Blender soon.

STAND A CHANCE TO WIN CUISINART SILICONE WARE

Just for your information, I saw from ToTT's Facebook page that they already round-up the 8 Finalists for Cuisinart Soup Making Competition (Singapore region) which will take place on 01 December 2012. After which the winning team will represent Singapore in the regional competition in Hong Kong for the championship! So why not "VOTE" and support your favourite soup shown above at ToTT Facbook Page (link here) and be one of the 4 Lucky Voters to win a set of Cuisinart Silicone Ware worth S$80.00!

I have "voted" the Healthy Prawn Broccoli Soup (2nd row, 2nd soup), what about you?

Rainbow Pancake Vs Geen Pig Pancake

I guess most of us love eye appealing food despite whether you are an Adult or kid. As a mum of one, I hardly used food gel/colouring in our food but in order to achieve the eye catching colours for this Rainbow Pancake I have to use tiny bits of it for the effect. And to obtain the vibrant colours, you could mix your food colouring with some water before adding to your favourite pancake mix, in this way it could prevent over mixed of the pancake mixture and leaving you with nice and fluffy pancakes.

Pumpkin And Meat Porridge Using Cuisinart Hot And Cold Blender

Continue from my last experiment on using the new Cuisinart Hot And Cold Blender for my Broccoli And Spinach Soup I would be sharing another quick one-jug recipe on Pumpkin and Meat Porridge which I did a few days back while my boy was not feeling well. Indeed this new blender comes in handy for cooking porridge to feed from 1 - 4 person without having the hassle to stand beside the stove and keep checking the porridge to make sure it is not overflow or overcook.

PUMPKIN AND MEAT PORRIDGE

This innovative blender helps to cook porridge especially those type that is suitable for baby between 6 - 15 months. It is so easy to prepare as what you need to do is to add all the ingredients into the blender, press STIR, to COOK/SIMMER till the porridge is ready to be served.

 Although my boy is neither a baby nor toddler but this type of comfort porridge is always great to whet the appetite of those who are not well or just recovered from sickness. Moreover you could also control the texture of the porridge by adjusting the amount of water/broth used.

(Serves: 2 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 30 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 120g Chicken/Pork Fillet, cut into 1.5" cubes
• 80g Pumpkin, cut into 1.5" cubes
• 30g Carrot, cut into 0.5" cubes
• 1/2 Cup Uncooked Rice
• 600ml Water or Chicken Broth
• 1 Century Egg(optional), cubes
• Garnish with Fried Shallot, Ginger and Chopped Spring Onion

Method:-
1. Rinse the rice in a few wash, pre-soaked it in water for 30 minutes (preferably) before cooking. Drained well and set aside.

2. Using the Cuisinart Hot And Cold Blender, add in chicken, pumpkin and carrot cubes into the glass jar together with 1 teaspoon of oil. Set timer to 30 minutes and press the STIR button (on the right side) to stir the mixture regularly to avoid burning.

3. Through the hole on the press-on lid, add drained rice and water/chicken broth into the glass jug and bring it to boil using HIGH heat. (it takes about 2 - 3 minutes)

4. When the mixture comes to boil, change to LOW and cook the mixture for 7 - 10 minutes before switching it to SIMMER and continue to cook until end of the cycle.

5. Once everything is cooked, PULSE it a once or twice if you prefer a smooth texture for the porridge.

6. Ladle the porridge between serving bowls, top with some century egg, fried shallot and spring onion. Serve hot.

So you see, after about 30 minutes of cooking time from scratch you are able to enjoy a bowl of delicious homecook porridge using whichever ingredients that you prefer. And moreover the best part is, when you get home from work, you just need to put everything in the blender and with a touch of button your meal will be ready by the time you finished your shower.

UPCOMING CUISINART RECIPE

Black sesame paste is one of the common dessert found in dessert chain outlets such as Ah Chew Desserts, Dessert Hut, Er Gu Dessert (二姑糖水) and etc. Consuming of black sesame paste is also believed to nourish the blood, lubricate the intestines and clear "wind" in the stomach. So stay tune for the upcoming recipe soon!

Crabtree & Evelyn 2012 X’mas Food Collections

Christmas is a time of joy as well as preparing gifts for family, friends and loved ones. For me I always love Crabtree And Evelyn fine food range such as their Biscuits and Tea which I often stock up at home for afternoon tea-time or when there are guests around.

Every year a month or so before Christmas, Crabtree and Evelyn will launched their limited edition X'mas collections from food to personal care gift ideas. Below are some of my personal preferences from Crabree And Evelyn 2012 X'mas Collections which I think it would come in handy while preparing your coming Christmas gifts.

Mini Biscuits (S$60.00) is a perfect gift for anyone with a sweet tooth! This beautiful gift box contains six different flavours of Crabtree And Evelyn indulgent biscuits which baked in Great Britain using a traditional recipe. When eaten you could find generous chunks of different fruits and chocolate within the biscuit which make it an irresistible melt-in-your-mouth experience.

This gift set contains Double Chocolate Chip Biscuits(100g); Traditional Shortbread (100g); White Chocolate And Raspberry Biscuits (100g); Strawberries And Cream Biscuits (100g); Chocolate Chip Shortbread (100g); Lemon And White Chocolate Biscuits (100g).

If you can’t pick between your favourite treats, then go for the Festive Indulgence (S$58.00) pack where you can have them all with this beautifully packaged seasonal selection. This gift set, comprised of limited edition Christmas Spice Ginger Biscuits (165g), and three festively decorated 65mm baubles each containing a different delectable fudge such as Christmas Spice, Clotted Cream and Chocolate.

With a wide assortment of gifts housed in beautiful and colorful keepsake containers, Noël it is recognised across the globe as Crabtree And Evelyn’s signature Christmas fragrance. It has a blend of fresh balsams, cranberry, apple, and citrus complemented by spicy star anise, clove, and nutmeg, instantly evoking the spirit and smells of holiday festivity throughout the home.

Noël Fragranced Candle (S$50.00) helps to create a luxurious glow and ambiance in your home for the holiday with our festively fragrant.

Noël Set Of Three Fragranced Candles (S$65.00) features the festive fragrance of Noël and vibrant red glass holders that will add a burst of colour to the season.

Noël Home Fragrance Reed Diffuser (S$75.00, 192ml) let you indulge in the continuous and celebratory fragrance of Noël in the elegantly designed reed diffuser.

Noël Home Fragrance Spray (S$28.00, 100ml) instantly infused your home with the festive scent of fresh evergreens, bayberry, zesty orange and warm spices.

I am sure all woman love to have a pair of smooth and delicate hand, so with this La Source Hand Care Tin (S$55.00) it would make a prefect gift to ensure those delicate fingers are well looked after. Inside this unique keepsake tin is a complete hand care kit that includes La Source Nail And Cuticle Therapy, La Source Hand Remedy, La Source Hand Recovery, La Source Hand Therapy and La Source Buffer to ensure even the most hardworking hands looking at their best during this festive season.

{New} Evelyn Rose Ultimate Luxuries (S$168.00) consist of Crabtree And Evelyn’s signature scent blends of English roses with the exclusive Evelyn Rose for a fragrance with unique charm. This would be a perfect gift for woman who is both feminine and graceful. This set contains, Evelyn Rose Shower Gel (250ml), Evelyn Rose Body Lotion (250ml), Evelyn Rose Hand Therapy (100g), Evelyn Rose Eau de Parfum (50ml) and a Compact Mirror in Gold.

There are a lot of afford and meaningful products which you could take a look from Crabtree and Evelyn 2012 X'mas Catalogue at this link HERE. I am sure you would find something useful for Christmas Gift(s). And for your information Crabtree & Evelyn recently opened their 11th store at the latest mall The Star Vista (located just beside Buona Vista MRT Station) at unit #01-03.


* All related photos and products related information such as pricing in this post are credited to Word Of Mouth Communications Pte Ltd and Crabtree And Evelyn.

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)