Since You've Been Gone: Semi-Fail Brownies

 Brownie tops, courtesy of that infernal fake non-stick hussy of a pan.

Dear Readers,

As most of you know, the Resident Taste Tester has been out of town (to correct my previous post, he is approximately 4100km away), and he has taken the camera (well, I put it in his hands so he could send neat pictures of far away places). But! I am not to be disheartened from posting.

Now, these grainy, even more poorly lit than usual, and completely lacking in composition photos are only being shared with you because I like you. I like you in the way that I would go shopping with M back home and be shy about a sort of fugly (is anything only sort of fugly?) swimsuit but come out of the fitting room to show her anyway. Yes, I like you oven-peeping folk that much.

So anyway, I made brownies a couple days ago. I adapted this brownie recipe from allrecipes.com. I wanted to spice them up a bit and tried to create a brownie-molasses-cookie hybrid. I thought the mini muffin pan might do well. Not learning my lesson from last time (that this non-stick claim was a crock of poop), I pried the brownies from it and then promptly threw it away. This left me with a pile of brownie rubble rather than neat little two-bite dreams. And then I compulsively ate them to hide my baking shame and to ease a little watching-movies-by-myself loneliness.

Brownies
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Yields 18 two-bite brownies (made with itsy bitsy muffin tins)

 1 T  unsalted butter, melted
1/2 C  sugar
1  egg
1 T  molasses
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 T  cocoa
1/4 C  flour
1/8 tsp  salt
1/8 tsp  double-acting baking powder
1/4 tsp  cinnamon
1/4 tsp  ginger

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177C).
2. Grease and flour whatever pan you're going to bake in.
3. Whisk together the butter, sugar, egg, molasses, and vanilla.
4. Add the cocoa, flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger and beat until homogeneous.
5. Fill pan (2/3 full for muffin tins) and bake 15-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out dry with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
6. Cool 1-2 minutes in the pan before slicing/removing.
7. Enjoy!

 Brownie Reflections

Non-stick. Mhmm.

I think if I did this again, I would double the molasses, ginger, and cinnamon and cut the sugar in half. I would also just plop the runny batter on a greased and floured tray to make cookies. The brilliant thing about these brownies were the tops that had runneth over the tins. They came away with an easy twist (leaving the rest of the brownie to be scraped out, ugh), slightly crispy on the outside, brownie soft on the inside.

I am glad to have that lie-of-a-non-stick-pan out of my life. No matter how carefully you greased and floured the thing beforehand, it would coax unsuspecting baked goodies to become one with its matte metal surface. As with all useless and frustrating things in life, you eventually tire of them and they end up in the trash (I'm all for reduce, reuse, recycle, but man that thing was evil).

Look forward to a few more fugly bikini style photo sharing posts.

BEST JAM OF MY LIFE and Other Farmers' Market Treats

Organic sweet potatoes and other fresh produce can be found at the Loewen Gardens Farmers' Market.

Remember when I was rambling on about how wonderful homemade pumpkin mash is? Whether you do or don't, there was a plug for farmers' markets at the bottom, including the one and only farmers' market in Singapore. It looked a little something like this:

Loewen Gardens Farmers' Market

1st Saturday of the month     9a-2p

75E Loewen Rd, Tanglin Village

6474 0441

The Resident Taste Tester and I went to it this past Saturday, the 1st of May. Not many people seem to know where Loewen Road is, and that included our taxi driver. Hint: it's in the same neighborhood as Dempsey (we actually walked 10 minutes to Dempsey after the market, very close).

While the place is small, with about 15 or so vendors, it does have its gems. We found friendly people offering us organic sweet potatoes (yes please), hydroponically grown rosemary (that might be nice for bread), sun-dried tomatoes, wine, cupcakes... It's hard not to buy something from everyone, not just because they're nice and you want to support local business, but also because it all looks so good.

I'd have to say my favorite vendors were these two women from Organic Himalaya Produce. They chat you up about how they fly in fresh produce, herbs, teas, oils, and jams every week from their organic farms in Nepal and are offering you samples of their tasty jams at the same time. This jam is amazing. Literally, THE BEST JAM OF MY LIFE, and I say this without hesitation or exaggeration. I'm obsessed with their peach jam, to the point where the $11 jar is over halfway gone and it's only Wednesday. I'm glad I put myself on their mailing list so I can bother them with peach jam hoarding weekly. You can email them at cynthiahoefer@mac.com (doesn't sound very Himalayan, but I don't care so much about the story, just the jam please).

Organic Himalaya vendors at the farmers' market. Fresh produce, jams, and oils are flown in every week from their organic farms in Nepal.

Organic Himalaya's peach jam, a.k.a. THE BEST JAM OF MY LIFE.

Another delightful thing about Organic Himalaya Produce is the rosemary they sell. The leaves are smaller than the hydroponically grown sort that the Pantry was selling and I believe they are much more fragrant. I bought a $2 bundle from both vendors and am proofing rosemary bread as this is written.

Two varieties of rosemary from the farmers' market. The smaller bunch is organic from Nepal and the other is hydroponically grown, sold by The Pantry.

One more vendor caught my eye and that is one at the very end of the trail: Madz Chef. Madz is run by Madhvi Timbadia and when the shelf is empty behind that Banana Walnut Bread sign, it's with good reason. Banana bread is not an exotic nor fancy baked goody, but something that speaks of home to me. My mom makes amazing zucchini bread and while they are clearly not the same thing, the texture and feeling surrounding the sampled bites were reminiscent of my childhood. Unfortunately, this homey goodness is probably why Madz was out of it by the time we sauntered up, a wee hour before the whole shebang was to close shop. Next time, Madz.

Madz Chef's booth, completely sold out of banana walnut bread and something else I cared about less because I only wanted the banana bread.

The next Loewen Gardens Farmers' Market is on the 5th of June. Mark your calendars, pack your tote bags, and prepare to ignore the girl foaming at the mouth at 8:30am outside the gate muttering something about peachy jam.


If you already forgot...

Loewen Gardens Farmers' Market

1st Saturday of the month     9a-2p

75E Loewen Rd, Tanglin Village

6474 0441

The Importance of Knives

Yesterday, I woke up from a nap and wanted a nibble. I wandered over to the fridge and grabbed an apple and some milk. Still a bit drowsy, I started to cut the apple and slip! Right in the finger! Ow.


My bandaged finger can attest to the importance of sharp knives and paying attention while you're using them. "Dull Is Dangerous." This is a catchphrase slung around food handler's permit courses and plastered on kitchen walls in the US. Sharp knives cut foods like vegetables and breads with ease; my brand new knife from Lau Choy Seng at 23,25 Temple Street made me squeal with joy when it sliced through a red bell pepper with the gentlest press. Dull knives require one to exert more force on the knife to do the work; the surface of the food resists the blunt knife edge and that makes things dangerous. You're pressing harder and are more likely to have your knife glance off the food or to have something slip, leading to blood and horror.


My knife is sharp, I however, was not. Because my knife is sharp, I have a clean, neat cut instead of a ragged, awful mess. This little incident was not a problem of poorly kept kitchen equipment, rather it was because I was still half asleep. Don't use knives, dull or sharp, when not particularly alert. Lesson learned.


If you're in the market to buy an ever-sharp knife, check out Rachael Ray's Sharp Store. I'll admit she terrifies me a bit too, particularly in this segment. Still, her Sharp Store is a pretty brilliant idea. Viewer discretion is advised.






Side note: I went to both Sia Huat Ptd Ltd and Lau Choy Seng again yesterday and bought a zester with two different zesting sizes, the softest pastry brush, sushi rolling mats, and a tall glass pitcher that doubles as a country-home-eclectic-sort-of flower vase. I also popped by another Temple Street store that sells Moderne brand dish ware. I've walked past their giant 20% OFF signs plenty of times, but yesterday, I wandered in and bought a giant round serving dish (perfect for cakes, aside from the slightly raised edges) and two dinner plates. Confession: I've spent more on kitchenware in Singapore than I have on anything else and I just don't give a damn. I just don't.

Smashing Pumpkins

Steamed and smashed butternut squash; a fresh, from-scratch substitute for canned pumpkin puree.

This post has little to do with front man Billy Corgan; if google has led you here for music, please hit the back button.


For those of you left in the room, welcome to pumpkin smashing 101! Whether you're desperate for a can of pureed pumpkin and your entire country seems to be in a canned pumpkin shortage (like me) or you just like doing things from scratch (also like me), you're in the right place.


Just how much smashed pumpkin do you need? I bought half a butternut squash (labelled butternut pumpkin in SG) and was able to smash out about 2.5 cups. Your standard 15 ounce can of Libby's pureed pumpkin contains 1.75 cups. I suggest you keep that in your notes for recipe time.

1/2 butternut squash ~ 2 1/2 C smashed

15 oz. canned pureed pumpkin = 1 3/4 C pureed

Excellent. Now, how do you pick a pumpkin/squash for your own mashing pleasure? Libby's uses "Dickinson" pumpkins, which are supposedly their very own Libby's breed. They look similar to butternut squash, just a lot longer. I've personally never met one of these genetically modified Libby zombie pumpkins, so I wouldn't know what their insides are like until they hit the can, but I've heard tell that using butternut squash = better pie!


Are you ready to smash?


Homemade Pumpkin Smash or Puree


Yields approximately 2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree substitute, a.k.a. fresh smashed or pureed pumpkin


1/2 butternut squash (your one and only ingredient!)

Steamed butternut squash chunks, cooled and nearly ready for mashing.

Skins removed from steamed squash.

1. Wash the skin of the squash and cut into chunks roughly 1"x3".
2. Place skin side down in steamer basket and steam for 15-20 minutes or until tender enough to mash.
3. Remove steamer baskets from heat and allow squash to cool completely.
4. Remove and discard skin (you can scoop away the flesh using a spoon).
5. Mash squash with a fork or puree in a blender/food processor until smooth (smooth-ish when mashing manually).
6. Set aside what you need then cover and refrigerate or freeze remaining squash.

Smashed Pumpkin Reflections

Smashed butternut squash, ready for recipes.

The squash had a slight funk to it after it was steamed. There wasn't any funk to the delicious things I've made with the mash, but still, this pre-use funk bothers me.

If you're freezing the leftovers, I'd advise portioning it out into 1/2 cups so you can easily defrost a known quantity at a time.

I really like squash. They keep goods moist and tender, are full of flavor, have a terrific variety of textures, and add nutritional value (a high dose of vitamin A in butternut squash). Try using it in pancakes, scones, cupcakes, breads, soups... the list goes on and on. I think squash are neglected because people find them a bit spooky to prepare, but steaming and baking them - so easy. Don't be afraid to pick one up next time you're at the grocery store (or farmers market yeah!*); you won't be disappointed.

*If you're living in Singapore, check out the Loewen Gardens Farmers' Market this Saturday, the 1st of May. Admission is free and the market is full of divine goodies you'll be hard pressed to find elsewhere. See gorgeous pictures here (by Ivan Ng, a.k.a. NinjaHelloKitty at Flikr. You can see his food blog here).

Loewen Gardens Farmers' Market

1st Saturday of the month     9a-2p

75E Loewen Rd, Tanglin Village

6474 0441

Options for the folks back home in the Seattle-Tacoma area:

Tacoma Farmers Market

Thurdays  8:30a-2p     Opens May 20

Broadway Street, between 9th & 11th

see the website for the 6th Ave and South Tacoma info

Pike Place Market (Seattle)

Pike Place/1st Ave Level:  Mo-Sa 10a-6p     Su 11a-5p

DownUnder Stores: Mo-Su  11a-5p

85 Pike St

Auburn International Farmers Market

Sundays  11a-3p     Jun 13 - Sep 26

A St & 2nd St SW, easy access from Hwy 167/18

Lillie Brinker 253 266 2726

lbrinker@auburnwa.gov

Kent Farmers Market

Saturdays  9a-2p     Jun 5 - Sep 25

2nd Ave N & W Smith St, next to library

Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance (Seattle)

Washington State Farmers Market Association

Kitchen Wish Lists & Being Your Own Fairy Godmother

Dear Reader, meet Almond Roca Cookie. ARC, meet Reader. ARC is from the oven of Emeril BAM! Lagasse at the Food Network. Indeed, she is made of sugar and spice and everything nice, as detailed here. I made this particular batch for an F1 get together a couple Sundays ago, substituting toffee bits for hammer smashed Werther's Original candies and omitting the oil for the dark chocolate drizzle. Unfortunately, ARC is not what we're here to discuss today. She was just a lure. I promise we'll come back to ARC another day.

Now that I have your attention...

Late last night, in an afternoon nap induced state of alertness, I cruised the internet for recipes. I found some of the loveliest things to shove in the oven, but through my wanderings, I became increasingly aware of the kitchen equipment I was lacking/craving.

So, between obsessive compulsively linking recipe titles in my email, I came up with a kitchen wish list:

Things I Wish I Owned That Make Me Feel Dreamy When I See Them

• tart dish
• stainless steel mixing bowl(s)
• sharp knife (or rather a whole beautiful set of sharp knives)
• rubber spatula(s)
• 12+ cup muffin tin
• ramekins (plural is not an option)
• souffle dish
• electric hand mixer
• frosting spatula
• full spice rack
• mini torch
• cake stand
• pastry blender

I have always loved kitchen things. My boyfriend, being the wonderful and thoughtful man that he is, got me several pieces of kitchen equipment for my birthday last month. I have used them all, save for the fondue set, which we will remedy very soon in a chocolate dipped weekend paradise. Still, my addiction is not satiated. That's the nature of addiction, it's never enough.

I don't think I've ever seen a ramekin (let alone a mini torch) for sale in Singapore, so I looked to the all knowing internet for insider secrets. Big thanks to Only Slightly Pretentious Food and  She Bakes and She Cooks for pointing me to Lau Choy Seng at 23,25 Temple Street (below).

It sounds strange, but I seriously felt like a kid in a candy store. Shelves and shelves of knives, stainless steel bowls, gleaming white porcelain, and so much more I don't need but desire to slip off the shelf and into my basket anyway. Stainless steel mixing bowl, check. Sharp knife, check. Rubber spatula, check. After finding out that they were completely out of 8cm ramekins, I took about five seconds to tell the man I wanted eight of the 9cm size.

After a reasonable kitchen supply binge at LHS, I decided to give the other shop recommended in the blogs a try. Just down the street is Sia Huat Pte Ltd at 7, 9, & 11 Temple Street. Yes, it is true what they say, SHPL is a bit more organized than LHS, but the employees seem to be running around like mad and answer questions nearly breathless before dashing off to help the next customer. Rumor has it that they are more expensive than LHS, but I barely glanced at prices as I drifted down the aisles, eyes glazing over from the money I just spent at LHS and the glistening array of cookie cutters before me. They had just about any shape I could think of. I find this crab cutter aaadorable (below).

Unfortunately, neither store had what I envision a proper hand mixer to look like. They both had upright mixers (drooool), a variety that would fit neatly on the kitchen counter and also some that could destroy a toddler should one fall in, but no hand mixers.

When you're at a loss in the hunt for kitchen appliances, go to the domestic holy land: the department stores. I gave Takashimaya's basement a spin and while they have a decent selection and knowledgeable staff, I decided to shop around. Just down Orchard Road was TANGS. The people that work there are generally useless and have no real scope of their stock, so I took to wandering and happened upon a hand mixer that comes with a stand/bowl set up and a set of dough hooks for $39SG. DIRT CHEAP. Now it lives in my kitchen and makes me smile. While it's no shiny KitchenAid upright mixer, it'll do.

After my kitchen supply bender, my previous list now looks like this (items in purple have been added after the original post was published):

• tart dish
• 12+ cup muffin tin
• souffle dish
• full spice rack
• mini torch
• cake stand
• pastry blender
• pizza cutter
• cookie sheets (plural is important because one is not enough)
• an actual upright mixer (dream big)
• a jolly assortment of random cookie cutters

Much more compact, no? (Answer: Definitely no, because...) Still, I can say with absolute certainty that this list will swell again, but that's how wish lists go. In the meantime, I can day dream about fancy things to do with my little army of ramekins.

Current weather in Singapore: Warm, absolutely pouring, and peppered with lightning and thunder. Love it.