Whenever I mention that I’m from Singapore, I inevitably get asked about Chilli Crab and Chicken Rice. And while they might be our most popular exports, Singapore is so much more than that. Yes, go to your Tian Tian Chicken Rice if you absolutely have to, but trust me, you’ll wanna hit up a few other dishes that you won’t get a chance to try otherwise. Here’s my list of Singaporean foods that will get you eating like a local!
Ah Singapore. I think I have a love/hate relationship with it. After all, it’s where I spent my best childhood years, and my worst teenage ones. And despite my distaste for the humidity that poofs my hair into the worst version of a 70’s afro (blessed with sleek Asian hair, I was not) and the heat that makes me sweat like a criminal on trial, I do have a fondness for the people and the food – because you can find nothing like it in any other part of the world. So once in a while I visit. And when I do, it’s a whirlwind.
We are now in the second half of winter, which means it’s last chances to have the oven and slow cooker running at the same time, without worrying that you are going to get cooked in your home alongside your lunch. So here are my favourite things to make in winter.
Let’s get those ovens running!!
Many Chinese dishes have stories behind them. Maybe it’s cause we know that food tastes richer with a legend or two, or maybe the lack of modern entertainment gave us cause to make things up. Either way, I love these tales that accompany my meal – it turns a simple lunch from a functional action, into a dining experience.
I love cooking with kids, but with no kids of my own, I only ever get the opportunity when I visit my cousin in Melbourne. These kids are a ravenous pair, and I’m such a proud aunt for it. But I know that as much as cooking with kids is really fun, it can be time consuming and messy, and often is left in the ‘too hard’ basket.
So why not use the appliances we have at our disposal? The food processor is my best friend in the kitchen, and these chewy cookies are my new favourite thing to make.
I think I’m a hippie at heart. There are a great many ideals I am in support of, and bringing together a community through food is definitely one of them.
Which is why I love the concept of Lentil as Anything – a not-for-profit restaurant with a unique business model of pay-as-you-like, all in the name of the community. But the question remains: how is the food?
I was researching party recipes lately, and I’ve come to learn that African dishes differ greatly. I guess I should have know, being an Asian and all, but it didn’t really click. Maybe it’s because African cuisine is not as documented, exported, and prolific, but there’s definitely a great wide area there to explore.
Xiao Long Bao, to me, is a peasant dish that is extremely delicate. Many components make up these juicy mouthfuls: a thin, translucent skin that still holds up well enough for you to pick them up with chopsticks, a pork filling that is seasoned but not overly so, to let the natural flavour of the pork shine through, and the tiny cubes of gelatinised stock and pork fat that melt when the dumplings are steamed, to create a piping hot soup that flows when that skin is pricked.
So when a restaurant not only serves xiao long bao at their restaurant, but has it as one of their featured dishes, it makes you wonder about the execution of the rest of their menu.
It can be very hard to explain to a non-Singaporean the concept of Kway Chap – after all, how do you describe what is essentially a Singaporean version of haggis, except that it’s all chopped up and not stuffed into a sheep’s stomach.
Well, I’m sure going to try, because this local delicacy is not only worth the explanation, it’s worth the effort.
This particular marinade came from a hodge podge of influences. I had picked up a basic chermoula recipe from a chef I had worked with – coriander, garlic, paprika – and started adding my own variations based on ingredients that I’ve had at home. The result might not be the most authentic Chermoula, but it certainly has become a family favourite!
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