Blueberry Charlotte

A mom friend and I went to the baking store a few days before Valentine's day and bought ladyfingers. I know I don't want to make Tiramisu and I just remembered the blueberry charlotte we used to buy back in Davao. That's why I thought of having this for our Valentine's day treat.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 packages Ladyfingers, or 1 batch home baked
• 1 can blueberry pie filling, or recipe below

Method:

Whip cream cheese with sugar and vanilla until creamy. Set aside. Whip cream until very thick. Don’t go too far or you will have butter! Add cream cheese mixture and blend until smooth. Line an 8 inch spring form pan with Ladyfingers, bottom and sides. Fill with cream cheese mixture then top with blueberry filling. Chill for 6 hours. Serves 10.

Blueberry Filling

2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp butter
juice and zest of one lemon
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring first 6 ingredients to a simmer. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until filling becomes thick and glossy, stir in vanilla. Cool completely before topping cake.

Source:

www.bigredkitchen.com

The Husband's Birthday Menu

I've been cramming the past days. The husband's birthday is fast approaching. And what should I prepare?

Menu 1

Eggplant Parmigiana
Chocolate Torte
Pistachio Macarons
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Some noodles or pasta

Menu 2

???

Heeelllppp!! Ayuda!!

From google

From google

From google

Valentine's Menu

I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair.

Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets. 

Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day 

I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps. 

I hunger for your sleek laugh, 

your hands the color of a savage harvest, 

hunger for the pale stones of your fingernails, 

I want to eat your skin like a whole almond. 

I want to eat the sunbeam flaring in your lovely body, 

the sovereign nose of your arrogant face, 

I want to eat the fleeting shade of your lashes, 

and I pace around hungry, sniffing the twilight, 

hunting for you, for your hot heart, 

Like a puma in the barrens of Quitratue.

Pablo Neruda

Gouda & Sun dried tomatoes Scones

French Toast with Orange Syrup

Blueberry Charlotte

Sources:

http://www.etsy.com
http://www.bigredkitchen.com

Quick Dinner

It's Chinese New Year and most stores are closed until tomorrow. Good thing I had some stuff in the kitchen. So I thought of making Chicken Pot Pie for dinner.

What you need:

• Puff pastry (1 recipe)
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cubed
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 can button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 whole chicken breast fillet, cubed
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup soup stock
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• onion
• garlic
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 medium sized ramekins
• egg wash (beaten egg + 2 Tbsp milk/water)

Directions:

1. Thaw your puff pastry at least an hour before preparing everything for your pot pie.
2. In a deep pan, heat 2 cups of water and let it boil. Once water boils, cook the potato and carrot cubes.  Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, make sure the veggies are fork tender. Remove water and set aside.
3. In a shallow pan, heat olive oil. Saute onions and garlic.
4. Add mushrooms, chicken cubes. Add corn kernels and the cooked vegetables.
5. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and herbs that you like. As for me, I used paprika, garlic powder and thyme.
6. Pour a little bit of the soup stock and let everything simmer. Make the mixture thick by mixing in the cornstarch. Adjust consistency according to your liking.
7. Remove from heat and let cool. Prepare puff pastry to roll out and top the pot pie. Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
8. In a flat surface, sprinkle a little bit of flour. Divide into 6 small balls and roll out the dough. Trim the dough to make it half an inch bigger than the lid of the ramekins.
9. Divide the filling into all the ramekins. Cover with the rolled out pastry and crimp to make it stick to the sides. Brush with egg wash and bake for 30-40minutes or until the top is golden brown.
10. Serve while hot.

Oscar's at Conrad Centennial Hotel

Local favorites - Laksa, Noodles, Bah Kut Teh etc

When the husband mentioned about celebrating our anniversary at Oscar's, I wasn't very sure about going. I really didn't have an idea about the place! Maybe because we're not familiar with the Conrad Hotel. When I looked up reviews about the buffet, I was sold right away! Average of 4 stars on Hungrygowhere.com!

International Entrees

Asian Entree

Desserts station

Salad bar

Fruits... of the sea

Desserts

The buffet spread, with the open kitchen on the left

I was looking forward to having my salad mixed inside the big bowl of Parmesan wheel but unfortunately the server informed me it was only for Caesar's salad, not for any other types or if you make your own. :( But he was gracious enough to give me a LOT of Parmesan shavings. Heaven!

Foccacia and some sort of salad

Below is my first plate of entrees. Of course I won't tell you how many plates I used. My little girl loved the sausages (as always) and chomped on the cheeses like there was no tomorrow.  The pasta was just okay, didn't really love the lamb carving. Roasted potatoes were yum, and I liked veal dish, too. But it was really sinful because it was bathed in creamy sauce! Hello, cholesterol!

Sausages, pasta, and veal.  Sorry to all the mommy cows out there.  

The husband's nth plate is shown on the photo below. According to him, the salmon something and shrimp were the ones which stood out. The rest was just average.

Shrimp, salmon, mussels, and lobster.

As always, dessert is the highlight of my meal. :) The cream puff was pretty with edible gold on top and the custard on a chocolate cup was also adorned with a coffee bean with a brush of the same gold paint.  I also tried the pudding, it was nice but not really a showstopper. 

My favorite part, dessert!

I love that they have great selections for ice cream. Just couldn't remember everything though, but for sure the flavors weren't the usual chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. I forgot the name but it was sweet and tangy, it was really good paired with the warm and crisp waffle.

Yummy ice cream waffle!

The fresh fruits were nice, but the highlight for me were the chocolates. They were just awesome. From lemon, berries, dark and even with rose flavored ones.

The mandatory tropical fruits

Below is the husband's dessert plate. I totally ignored the cake, thinking it was just another cream cheese cake blah. But when the husband told me it was their signature cake, I went back to the dessert table to get one but it was gone too soon! :( 

A slice of their signature choco-crunch cake, a selection of chocolates, and fruits

If only I can go back everytime there's a special occasion, I would! We also checked out there high tea buffet, it was about S$43++. I guess there's another reason to go back to Oscar's! :))

Website: Conrad Centennial Hotel
Conrad Centennial Hotel2 Temasek Boulevard, Lobby Level
Singapore 038982
Contact: 6432 7481

Operating Hours and Prices (For Buffet Only):
Mondays till Fridays; Lunch- 12.00pm to 2.30pm ($52.00++)
Mondays till Thursdays; Dinner- 6.00pm to 10.00pm ($65.00++)
Fridays; Dinner- 6.00pm to 10.00pm ($78.00++)
Saturdays; Lunch- 12.00pm till 2.30pm ($58.00++)
Sundays; Brunch- 12.00pm till 3.00pm ($78.00++; $148.00++ with free flow of alcoholic beverages)
Saturdays and Sundays; Dinner- 6.00pm till 10.00pm ($78.00++)