shiokadelicious!

Modern Asian

Sorry for the lack of updates over the last few days. Life has kind of gotten a hold of my time… Hmmm… what’s that song that was a hit in the 80s? The one that went… “something’s gotten hold of my heart, spinning me around…” I think it was by a British band… No, actually, it could have been by the Irish band Simply Red. Remember them? Remember the song? Not to worry. It’s just that the tune suddenly popped into my head while I was typing the first line. Although for me, it has been more a case of “life’s gotten hold of my time, spinning me around…” and sapping my energy.

I was going to write a post today, but am completely zapped. I’ve been averaging only 3 hours of sleep every night for the past 10 days or so, and am currently functioning purely on sheer grit and will-power to keep my eyes open and brain working!

So, it will be just pictures tonight. No words.

Here’s a look at the modern face of Asian cuisine…

These are more pictures from the Food & Hotel Asia 2004 (FHA 2004) that was on in Singapore last month, and at which I spent a wonderful couple of days ogling at and tasting some gorgeous food.

First, a quick little note: all the food had some kind of preserving jelly applied to them, to allow them to sit out in the open for a few days without rotting and giving off a stench. That’s why they all looked so glossy and shiny, and why some of them (those that had too much jelly poured over them) looked somewhat plasticky and fake.

I just had to say a few words about this dish. I really liked it. A unique presentation of abalone slices in the form of a tart. A rather uncommon method of food presentation in Chinese cuisine.

A gold medal award winning 3-course meal.

A rather modern and yummy-looking presentation of a Chinese soup. I think the base was a clear double-boiled ginseng consommé, if I remember correctly. Yum!

This can probably be considered a quintessential Chinese dish - duck's feet. Yes, chicken claws and duck feet are considered delicacies, with the former being a much loved and highly popular dim sum dish. And this, I guess, is a new and perhaps "more classy" take on a classic delicacy.

One of my favorite dishes… roasted quails… with braised quail eggs. I love quail eggs, and cook with them very regularly. But quails I only really get to eat when I’m in Hong Kong.

And what’s a Chinese meal without some stir-fried vegetables, right? Ubiquitous, and yet always refreshing, appealing and tasty…

Finally, to end a meal on a sweet note…

There are a lot more Asian dessert pictures, but I’m too tired… So, this will have to be it for tonight. And tomorrow, there will be a "proper" post. So, until then...

G’nite!

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, publish, distribute or display any of the images or text contained in this article.

Sweet Labour Day Weekend to All!

As we head into the Labour Day Weekend, I just thought it would be nice to end the week on a sweet note… with a few more pictures from the Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) 2004 Culinary Competition.

These were some of the results of the pastry/sugar-works competition. Each one a piece of edible art…

This one – a fruit and picnic basket – picked up a gold medal along the way. It’s not hard to see why. Each fruit was a tantalizingly glossy and glistening sweet sculpture that looked so life-like one half-expected to find juice squirting out should one take a bite into the fruit. And oh, that slab of cheese next to the basket… anything for a piece of that luscious looking beauty on a chunk of freshly-baked crusty loaf.

This sugar/pastry sculpture (below) had more global aspirations. Although I wasn’t quite sure what the message was, I loved the filigree design and detailing of the globe stand, which was worked to very realistically resemble aged wrought iron.

Both majestic and delicate at the same time.

Celestial beings of a less secular kind.

The detailing on the camel’s “hair”, the young lady’s gossamer thin veil and the little clay pots and vases were exquisite.

This one was quite something to behold. It was an entire scene centered around the legendary Chinese hero Zhong Kui. Here, the wedding procession of Zhong Kui’s younger sister was recreated.

The attention to detail was pretty amazing. Look at the finely crafted tassels on the shaders. Even the traditional brass corners, locks and decorations on the wooden chests were reproduced faithfully down to the last detail.

Each face and facial expression was unique and helped tell the story. Quite amazing!

The above were the pastry/sugar entries. Then of course, there were the chocolate works…

A popular theme each year is sculptures of humans. This was one of the entries for this theme in this year’s competition. Personally, I felt I had seen better ones in previous years, which had “livelier”, more “human” facial expressions, better mastery of physiological proportions and so on.

But this one was still sensational for its attention to detail. See the bead necklaces the tribesmen were wearing? Each tiny, individual bead was painstakingly crafted in full delicate detail. The body hair effect was also very “real life”!

I loved the tiny blades of grass. They almost looked like they were rustling in the breeze.

Another chocolate sculpture of humans and animals.

And of course, it would have been most remiss to not have anything from Harry Potter. So, this was a white, dark and milk chocolate recreation of Harry Potter’s chess set.

Yet another Harry Potter chess set. I preferred this one. Really liked the aged / used wood appearance of the chess table. Very, very realistic and life-like. This one even had a small drawer coming out of the chess table (and which I very conveniently chopped off in the picture, but can still be glimpsed on the left hand side of the photo). Very nice!

Finally, a modern, abstract chocolate sculpture. Oh, I’m sure many, many people were tempted to take a huge bite out of this delectable beauty!

On that sweet note, have a wonderful Labour Day Weekend.
And Happy May Day!

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, publish, distribute or display any of the images or text contained in this article.

Chocoholics Unite!

Don’t worry. No more cakes today, I promise. That was just a little teaser.

I was watching the very young pastry chef as she decorated this cake on Tuesday. She must have then gone on to decorate another 3, because when I walked around the display of the competition results on Thursday, she had won herself a gold medal for her quad ensemble of cakes. The other three were perhaps slightly more involved designs, with some architectural interest. Overall, very interesting and rather elegant. Of the four cakes, two were chocolate by design and the other two had fruit-based decorations. I thought this fig, blackberry and liqueur (I cannot now recall what liqueur it was) cake looked absolutely scrumptious.

I had wanted to take pictures of the results of the plated desserts competition, simply because I enjoy drooling over desserts, and also because they can be a source of wonderful ideas and inspirations for making and plating my own desserts. Unfortunately, on Tuesday the results were not out yet. Then, on Thursday, when the results were out, I didn’t have my camera with me!

So, here instead are the “after-desserts” – that is, petit-fours and pralines. Just thought they make for a rather nice sweet start to the weekend.

This collection, by either the Swisshotel Plaza Singapore or the Raffles Hotel Singapore (can’t remember which) garnered a gold medal.

The crowd around this display was too pressing and there were too many camera flashes going off. So, only one close-up shot, unfortunately…

This collection was a bronze medalist.

This was the chocolate sculpture which was partially chopped off in the above photo. Rather intriguing concept. But I couldn’t quite figure out the meaning and/or significance of that white chocolate dragon- / lizard-like creature.

Here are just a few pictures of several random petit-fours that I managed to get close enough to, to take a snapshot of…

I really liked the idea of plating on a mirrored platter. It created a beautiful effect, and really enhanced the visual appeal of the delicately crafted morsels. Hmmm… a great idea to use for a fancy dinner party at home I think. Simple and easy to do, but with a great effect.

The chocolate towers on the right were so incredibly tiny, and yet so refined and detailed! They were probably only about half the size of an average petit-fours or praline. And yet, each tiny yellow flower had distinct detailing on them.

Here’s an interesting collection worked around different grains…

In the foreground, little millet-based pralines, and behind it “Rice Checker Boxes”.

Quinoa-based petit-fours. A rather inspired melding together of two contrasts - an ancient grain and a somewhat edgy, modern, architectural structure.

These were the most delicate, refined and dainty “scarecrows” I have ever seen! These “Corn Scarecrows” were more likely to attract than repel I think!

“Oat Season”.

This next praline ensemble took inspiration from well-known and well-loved Asian flavors…

From the fruity…

To the spice- and herb-based…

If only I had a chance to taste some of these. It would have been very interesting to find out how these Asian fruits, spices and herbs flavored pralines tasted. Imagine… durian ganache praline… mmmm...

Happy chocolat-ing!

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, publish, distribute or display any of the images or text contained in this article.

Even More Cakes!

As promised yesterday, here are more wedding cakes… but wedding cakes with a twist. Wedding cakes of modern concept and design. Wedding cakes which are at times fantastical, at other times whimsical, and at other times still, downright fun and light-hearted. These unique, thematic cake designs inspire with their creativity that challenge the normally accepted precepts of what a wedding cake should look like.

Who says wedding cakes must be white, pretty, dainty, elegant, floral and feminine? They can be of course. But, a wedding cake is a once in a lifetime thing (or at least we usually only plan for it to be a once in a lifetime thing). You get just one wedding cake, so why not have one that represents who you are as individuals and as a couple? Why not have it reflect your interests, passions and hobbies? The wedding is about you and your partner. It’s about your special and unique relationship. It’s about your special day. So, why should your wedding cake look just like everyone else’s?

Want some ideas?

Well, for those with a love for the seas and oceans, perhaps an “Ocean Fantasy” would make your special day extra special and would most definitely wow your wedding guests.

I love the color scheme on this one. Bright, colorful and cheerful, yet at the same time, soothing and elegant even.

The vibrant and lively detailing is exquisitely crafted.

Very three dimensional with a good concept of depth and movement. See little Nemo peeking out from among the reeds?

Almost too pretty to eat!

Now, how about a Chinese theme? I really like the premise of this design. Many Chinese couples go through traditional Chinese wedding ceremonies like the tea ceremony and so on, and yet when it comes to the wedding cake, it is almost always of “Western” design. I think it would be lovely to have the option of reflecting our Chinese heritage in the cake too.

A blend of East and West. The traditional white of a Western wedding with the traditional bright red of auspicious Chinese celebrations.

The bridal dolls are dressed in the traditional wedding garb of Ancient China.

All the requisite auspicious symbols in a Chinese wedding. The Chinese place great score on symbolisms – be it for Chinese New Year, or in relation to births, birthdays, anniversaries and yes, weddings.

Bamboo symbolizes luck and good fortune. And for certain dialect groups like the Hokkiens, the groom must bring with him a gift of a bundle of long bamboos (amongst other gifts) for his new in-laws when he goes to pick up the bride on the morning of the wedding.

Red lanterns are traditionally hung on the outside of homes in times of celebrations. As long as there is an auspicious occasion in the family, the house will be decorated in red, with red cloths, red lanterns and so on.

As at Chinese New Year, fire crackers are also let off during a wedding, to chase away evil spirits and to mark the start of the marriage with a big bang!

I think this is supposed to symbolize the bridal lamp. Note the decorations of peony flowers – a much loved Chinese symbol of purity, fulfillment and achievement, usually especially in relation to matters of the heart.

This creation by a chef from Taiwan is a silver medal winner.

Okay, maybe you find the color red a little too strong and aggressive. You eschew white, and want color. But something less bright. Try this one on for size…

I personally am not too keen on the rather over-sized dolls in the display. They are not really part of the cake, and yet are rather distracting, and form a distinctly discordant juxtaposition with the more ethereal, whimsical design of the cake itself.

The color play is rather unique – and spray painted on (with food coloring of course) for a diffused effect. Something different.

The sugar work is very interesting. I particularly like the delicate and whimsical butterfly in the first picture.

This piece of edible artwork is a bronze medalist.

A great sense of fun and lighthearted humor can very often go a long way in making an event especially memorable. So, for those die-hard cartoon and animation fans, this is perhaps the ideal wedding cake…

Yep! Yabadabadoo! It’s the Flintstones!

Here’s Fred and Wilma. Don’t you just love the great attention to detail? Look at the little lady bugs, and the mushrooms and flowers sprouting from the ground.

I’ll need a little help here. I’m not very good with the names of the Flintstone characters. It’s been a long, long while since I watched my last Flintstones cartoon, and no, I did not watch the movie. I know this is Barney. (I think). But what’s the wife’s name?

The girl is Pebbles. She was my favorite Flintstone character, although this rendition is not quite how I remember her. Who’s the little boy again?

Cute house, no? Check out the detailing… the roof tiling, the cracks in the walls and the flowers blooming around the house.

It took home a gold medal.

This next one had me standing, with mouth agape, as I stood transfixed by the amount of detailing in the design. I marveled at the exquisiteness of all the fine and refined details. Nothing was missed. Imagine the number of hours of hard work needed to produce something like this!

If I remember correctly, this ensemble is named “First Kiss in Toscany”. How romantic!

Look at the way the icing has been worked to look like mosaic tiles.

Oh! Those sugar grapes look so luscious! It took a lot of willpower to stop myself from grabbing a handful and popping them into my mouth! I like this photo for the unexpected play of light. The halogen spotlight just so happens to hit the cake in such a way that it looks like the warm, tranquil sunlight at the cusp of dusk falling on the walls of a medieval castle. It enhances so aptly the feel of the Mediterranean and its romantic sunsets.

Note the very nice marbled crackle design on the bowl. And of course, those absolutely delectable-looking macaroons!

Another well-deserved gold medalist in my opinion.

But, I have left the best for last. When I laid eyes on this one, it was all I could do to keep myself from jumping up and down, clapping my hands and squealing in glee. I mean, I do know about proper public decorum after all. And I was at a trade event filled with the top professionals of the business. But oh, how I fell in love with this cake design…

This is like a magical castle out of any little girl’s fantasy world. All candy-colored and candy-filled.

Oh, oh, oh! Look at the miniature sponge ladyfingers surrounding the base. And those pastel pink macaroons with the light lemony yellow centers!! Exquisite detailing on the gold braiding work too.

I just have to show you a close up of the macaroons.

I like the second layer even more. The fluidity of the white silken curtains is well captured. The textile texture of the green marbled skirting is also exquisitely rendered. And I just love those tall, fantastical cupcake designs! I love those cupcakes! The color scheme and the expert control of the intensity and combination of colors are admirable and very well executed.

And the final golden crown topping this jewel of a cake.

Kudos indeed to this Grand Hyatt pastry chef.

This is the name of the cake. But I really don’t feel this even has to be a wedding cake. It would make the most incredible birthday cake for a girl. And not just little girls. But grown-up girls with little girls still living in their hearts too. Like, ahem… yours truly. I mean, I would so, so, so love to have a birthday cake like this. It’s like all the fantasies and dreams of childhood packaged into one sugar-coated, candy-colored feast for the eyes.

So, if anyone from the Grand Hyatt, Singapore happens to be reading this post, my email button is located near the top of the right navigational bar….

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, publish, distribute or display any of the images or text contained in this article.

More Cakes!

Just when you thought you have had enough of cakes for the week, or maybe even for the month… guess what? More cakes! But this time, by the professionals.

I was at Food & Hotel Asia 2004 yesterday afternoon. This is the biennial gathering, in Singapore, of the food and hospitality industry. It is billed as “Asia’s largest and most international food and hospitality event”. It is actually an annual event, but Singapore and Hong Kong take alternate turns to host the convention and exhibition.

So, I spent the entire afternoon, immersed and submerged in food products from around the world… tasting and testing from booth to booth. From cakes and pastries, gelatos and chocolates to wine, beef, ostrich, kangaroo… From the latest designs in candy to the newest technology in producing crisps and on and on…

Unfortunately, I was too busy munching, chatting and discussing to take photos. BUT… I did take pictures of the professional culinary competition. The annual event where the region’s top chefs pit their talents and skills against each other.

Yesterday being only the second day of the convention, only the results for the plated appetizers, the plated Asian dishes and the petit-fours competitions were out. The battle for the gold medals in entrees and desserts are still on-going.

There are tons of photos… so they will be coming up over the next few days.

Today (and tomorrow), in keeping with the cake theme of the week, I will showcase the results of the wedding cake competition. Today, it is the perhaps more traditional style of wedding cakes… and tomorrow, it will be the modern, whimsical and fantastical.

I won’t say much more. These cakes speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Over the last 5-6 years, it has been the trend in Asia (and perhaps in other parts of the world too), that wedding cakes (not just in professional exhibitions and competitions, but in real weddings too) no longer come in the traditional vertical tier, as seen in the top photo. Rather, the tiers are separate and placed at different angles and levels, creating a more dynamic, 3-dimensional effect.

However, one unchanging theme for a lot of wedding cakes is flowers.

Such as in this Bronze Medal winning entry by a pastry chef from Taipei, Taiwan. Pale primrose yellow flowers against the traditional white icing.

On a different color scheme is this one, but using a much-loved Chinese blossom – the peony – as the lead motif. The peony flower is taken by the Chinese to symbolize fulfillment and achievement.

A pair of swans symbolize the harmonious, loving and peaceful coming together of the couple.

Here’s another cake with the peony theme, this time in a pink ensemble.

(Sorry, I was moved along by the crowd before I had a chance to take close-ups of the other two tiers.)

And of course, the traditional symbol of love remains a perennial favorite for wedding cakes. Roses.

This next one I like quite a lot. I like the uniqueness of the triangular shape. I like the slightly less traditional pastel mint green color. I also like the way the chef has played with the concept of height in the flower and swan decorations.

Here’s another closer look at the flowers. Very pretty.

Oh, this one I really like. Why? It’s chocolate, that’s why. Chocolate on chocolate, if I remember correctly. Dark chocolate cake topped with white chocolate icing and bi-colored chocolate flowers, I think. This must be a chocoholic’s wedding cake dream come true!

(Notice the heaving crowds in the background, viewing the cakes in the other row of exhibits. In some places, we were standing three persons deep. Each one of us craning and straining our necks to get a peek at the cakes, and me trying to squeeze my little camera through so that I could get a few shots. I felt like a member of the cake paparazzi or something. Three seconds were all I had, and I had to make sure I got the shots. Quite a lot of fun actually!)

Not sure if you can make it out from the above picture. But I think the small, almost pin-prick sized raised dots makes for very intricate and interesting detailing on the icing’s surface. Nice.

Chocolate and nut cake… yum!

Another cake with a swan theme…

Check out the cascading bouquet of sugar flowers. Gorgeous, no?

This next one combines the traditional with a touch of the lighthearted and whimsical. A two-tiered cake with traditional white icing, but… with a big ring box, a wedding ring and a diamond ring all made from pure confectionery.

This is probably the cheapest, and yet sweetest diamond ring around.

Again, I like the very intricate 3-dimensional detailing on the surface of the icing.

Tomorrow, the wedding cakes will be a true feast for the eyes! Stay tuned.

Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, publish, distribute or display any of the images or text contained in this article.