Meaning of life-bored?

Let’s break from the food and wine stuff for this entry. Let’s talk about the meaning of life for change.

I just got hit by this dazzle of thoughts yesterday night. (actually it’s more like in the morning today…0020 hrs to be exact.)

Life is bored! What do you do?

You pick up the LIFEFORD dictionary hidden between the left and right hemisphere of the brain.

You flip the copies in front of you.

1st edition: Boredom (noun) I don’t see that big woman staring at me today and say “So cute!”

2nd edition: Boredom (noun) Why am I alone in the cot?

3rd edition: Boredom (noun) Where that pesky kid whose hair I loved to pull?
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28th edition: Boredom (noun) Call the person who will make you happy and talk till midnight!

THAT IS BOREDOM TO YOU!

Way to deal with boredom!
Take a bottle of jolly good Vodka.
Pour about 50ml.
Squeeze half a lime.
Stir in a bit of sparkling ribena.
Throw into a couple of ice cubes for good measure.
Stir & shake.
Gulp it down!
Still bored?
Repeat process till you see the light at the other end of tunnel!
HIC!
Cheers

More on Chilli Crabs

Recipe for Chilli Crabs

Ingredients
500g Sri Lanka Crabs or mud crab
8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
8 fresh red chilli, roughly chopped
1 egg
2 spring onions, cut into finger length
1 tsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 small bunch coriander plant (decoration)

Mix together for Sauce1 cup of water, 5 tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 1/2 to 3 tbsp sugar, or according to taste, 1 1/2 tsp cornflour, 1 tsp pounded brown preserved soya beans or dark miso (optional), 1/4 tsp saltMethodHeat the oil in a wok or shallow saucepan over high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the chilli, stir-fry till fragrant. Add crabs. Fry well till shells start turning red, add sauce ingredients stir well, cover with lid and simmer till shells are red. Break eggs into the wok and streak with a fork, simmer till cooked. Squeeze lime juice over and stir in spring onion.

Wine to complement:
For this hearty meal of crab, I would recommend a bottle of Hardys Riseling. This particular Riseling is fresh with a lemon lime citrus undertones. The palate is soft with a delicious lingering sweet finish and would not overwhelmed the sweet spicy taste of the Crabs.

Singapore’s unofficial “national dish” - chilli crab

Extracted: chennaionline.com
It was in the 1950s that a great cook - Madam Cher Yam Tian - created a great recipe for preparing fresh-from-the-sea crabs. She and her husband, Lim Choon Ngee, set up a food stall selling sea crabs on the seashore, everyday from dusk till the wee hours, by the light of a kerosene lamp. This was the first version of the Singapore chilli crab.
The twist in the tale? Madam Cher’s food stall was located near where the famous East Coast Seafood Centre now stands, with all its restaurants cooking up a storm of chilli crab every night, without a thought for Madam Cher, the creator!
With a hearty gravy made from fresh red chillies, tomato sauce, fresh eggs and spring onions, chilli crabs are best eaten with your fingers. Don’t bother to try looking genteel - use your teeth to crack the shells, suck out the succulent meat, and if you have to, hit the extra-hard shell on the tabletop to break it!
Let the gravy run down your arm, clean it up with cubes of French bread or Chinese buns (known as mantou), that are served as a side dish. All in a chilli crab meal’s work!

More on Beaujolais Nouveau

A recipe for good food using good wine!

Beaujolais-braised Beef Short Ribs
Andy D’AmicoNice Matin / Marseille

Serves four
Marinade:4 lbs. Meaty beef short ribs, trimmed of excess fat. 4 cups Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2005 3 Onions, chopped1 Carrot, chopped1 Rib celery, chopped12 cloves Garlic, smashed with the side of a knife 2 Fresh sage leaves2 Bay leaves
Braise:1 TBS Olive oil½ cup Diced salt pork1 Onion, chopped1 Carrot, chopped3 cloves Garlic, smashed with the side of a knife ½ cup Sliced mushrooms3 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped (or substitute canned )Peel of 1 orange 3 Fresh thyme sprigs2 Bay leaf3 ClovesFlourSalt
To make the marinade: In a 2-quart, non-reactive saucepan, mix together the wine, onions, carrot, celery, garlic, sage and bay leaves and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. Put the ribs in a glass or ceramic dish large enough to hold them comfortably. Pour the cooled marinade over the ribs and turn several times to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours.

To prepare the braise, preheat the oven to 250°F.Lift the ribs from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with flour and season lightly with salt. Strain the marinade through a fine-mesh sieve, discard the vegetables, and set the marinade aside.
In a heavy, enamel-coated, cast-iron pot (or casserole or Dutch oven) place the ribs snugly in a single layer, heat the oil and salt pork over medium heat until the salt pork melts and the oil is hot. Brown the ribs a few at a time, turning with tongs so that they are evenly colored on all sides. As the ribs are browned, set them aside.

When all the ribs are browned, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic and mushrooms and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes, orange zest, thyme, bay leaves and cloves, stir, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the browned ribs and the strained marinade to the casserole, cover, and bake for approximately 2 ½ hours or until the meat slips easily away from the bones.

Carefully remove the short ribs from the casserole and discard any bones that have separated from the meat, set aside to cool. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible, place uncovered in the coolest part of the refrigerator.

When the meat is cool enough to handle slip off any bones that are still attached to the meat, carefully cut off and discard the rubbery tendon that is attached to the bottom of the meat. Cover the meat and refrigerate.Lift the layer of fat congealed on top of the cooled braising liquid and discard.

Set the saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the liquid to a boil, and reduce until the sauce is the consistency of thick cream. Strain again.

When ready to serve, return the meat to the sauce and heat gently over a slow flame until heated through. Season with salt & pepper and serve.

Serve with creamy polenta, potato puree or buttered noodles.

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2005

Finally the day where every decent wine lover would be waiting for! The arrival of the Beaujolais Nouveau 2005! I have managed to get hold of this young wine in Isetan Scotts today at a price of SGD27.90! I have tried the 2003 bottle which to me was a smashing fruity wine. At that time, my cousin went all the way to Africa to get me a bottle.
For those who wish to know more about the wine. Here are some information.


Extracted: From a wine enthusiast
"This Wednesday (16 November), starting at about 10 p.m., quite a few of us will be standing in line at wine stores, bars and restaurants, empty glasses in hand, waiting to taste the Beaujolais Nouveau wines that will be poured precisely at midnight. We will not be alone, for at midnight their own time people in New York, San Francisco, Paris, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Soeul, Singapore and Rio de Janeiro will also be waiting for a sip of these super young wines. "

Extracted: intowine.com
AT ONE MINUTE PAST MIDNIGHT on the third Thursday of each November, from little villages and towns like Romanèche-Thorins, over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau begin their journey through a sleeping France to Paris for immediate shipment to all parts of the world. Banners proclaim the good news: Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! "The New Beaujolais has arrived!" One of the most frivolous and animated rituals in the wine world has begun.By the time it is over, over 65 million bottles, nearly half of the region's total annual production, will be distributed and drunk around the world. It has become a worldwide race to be the first to serve to this new wine of the harvest. In doing so, it has been carried by motorcycle, balloon, truck, helicopter, Concorde jet, elephant, runners and rickshaws to get it to its final destination. It is amazing to realize that just weeks before this wine was a cluster of grapes in a growers vineyard. But by an expeditious harvest, a rapid fermentation, and a speedy bottling, all is ready at the midnight hour.

Beaujolais Nouveau began as a local phenomenon in the local bars, cafes, and bistros of Beaujolais and Lyons. Each fall the new Beaujolais would arrive with much fanfare. In pitchers filled from the growers barrels, wine was drunk by an eager population. It was wine made fast to drink while the better Beaujolais was taking a more leisurely course. Eventually, the government stepped into regulate the sale of all this quickly transported, free-flowing wine.In 1938 regulations and restrictions were put in place to restrict the where, when, and how of all this carrying on. After the war years, in 1951, these regulations were revoked by the region's governing body—the Union Interprofessional des Vins de Beaujolais (UIVB)—and the Beaujolais Nouveau was officially recognized. The official release date was set for November 15th. Beaujolais Nouveau was officially born. By this time, what was just a local tradition had gained so much popularity that the news of it reached Paris. The race was born. It wasn't long thereafter that the word spilled out of France and around the world. In 1985, the date was again changed, this time to the third Thursday of November tying it to a weekend and making the celebration complete. But wherever the new Beaujolais went, importers had to agree not to sell it before midnight on the third Thursday of November.

On a more technical note, the wine is strictly speaking, more properly termed Beaujolais Primeur. By French and European rules, a wine released during the period between its harvest and a date in the following spring, is termed primeur. A wine released during the period between its own and the following years harvest, is termed nouveau. Well, enough of that! It is a triumph of marketing and promotion, mostly due to the efforts of Georges Dubœuf. The largest negociant in the region, he is a tireless promoter of Beaujolais and Beaujolais Nouveau. More than a fifth of his annual production, about 4 million bottles, is Beaujolais Nouveau. All in all, in the last 45 years, sales have risen from around a million bottles to more than 70 million bottles. Apart from the fanfare, what makes Beaujolais Nouveau so popular? And especially in the U.S. where consumption of red wine is less than 30%? Simply put, Beaujolais Nouveau is as about as close to white wine as a red wine can get. Due to the way it is made—the must is pressed early after only three days—the phenolic compounds, in particular the astringent tannins, normally found in red wines, isn't there, leaving an easy to drink, fruity wine. This, coupled with the fact that it tastes best when chilled, makes for a festive wine to be gulped rather than sipped, enjoyed in high spirits rather than critiqued. As a side note, it makes a great transitional wine for anyone wanting to move from white to red wines.










Franck Duboeuf presided over the official uncorking at New York.

Gulp is NOT the Way!

BEER TASTING AT ITS BEST
Extracted from germanculture.com.ua

Here's How:
Choose your favorite kind of beer, or the kind mostly advised by your friend.
Open the bottle.

While pouring the beer into the glass, listen to the mild sound of the flowing beer and the soft noise of escaping carbonic acid.

Enjoy the vesicles rising up and over the glass and building into a gorgeous foam crown.
Inhale the full bouquet of the beer flavor.

And now ..... take the first desired sip.

Taste all beer ingredients: the grain, the hop, the water and the yeast.
Feel your first impression gradually develop as the beer covers your tongue from the tip to the root.

Define the unique taste of your beer with the aftertaste remaining on the tongue.

You will be surprised to find a variety of different taste nuances -- all in only one beer!

Food on thoughts

Health benefits of Beer
source: Prerna Salla

Beer and its magnificent research Studies have revealed that beer can produce the same benefits as drinking wine. Whether you prefer ales, lagers, stout, bitter or wheat beers, studies show that one drink a day for women or up to two drinks a day for men will reduce your chances of strokes, heart and vascular disease. It’s no secret that the stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. and the leading cause of serious, long-term disabilities. What’s interesting is that it was proven that those who drank one beer a week compared to those who drank one beer a day experienced no variance in reducing stroke risks. It is said that light to moderate drinkers will decrease their chances of suffering a stroke by 20%. A researcher at the Texas Southwestern Medical Center reported that those who consume moderate amounts of beer (one to two a day at the most) have a 30-40% lower rate of coronary heart disease compared to those who don’t drink. Beer contains a similar amount of ‘polyphenols’ (antioxidants) as red wine and 4-5 times as many polyphenols as white wine. At times pregnant women were also allowed to have beer during their pregnancy to facilitate the baby and help him slide out easily from the mother’s womb. Alcohol has also been attributed of its ability to increase the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) into the bloodstream as well as help to decrease blood clots. As a conditioner too, beer has excellent results on adding up to the shine of your hair. As it contains vitamin B6, which prevents the build-up of amino acid called homocysteine that has been linked to heart disease, you're sure to have a healthy hear too. Some interesting facts for you to ponder upon. * Beer is nutritious if consumed in moderation * That beer is fat-free and cholesterol free? * Beer has a relaxing effect on the body thereby reducing stress. * It can help you sleep better * It helps prevent heart disease and improves the blood circulation * It has proven to have positive effects on elderly people. It helps to promote blood vessel dilation, sleep, and urination. On an average beer contains the following: 0mg of cholesterol 0g of fat 13g of carbohydrate 25mg of sodium protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and vitamins B, B2, and B6 The health risks of beer Ever heard of the ‘beer belly’? In a German study, Gerard Klose said ‘dangers begin to emerge in men measuring more than 94 centimeters around the middle, and become "really risky" at a girth of 102 centimeters’. ‘Too much fat’, he said, ‘makes diabetes, certain forms of cancer and heart disease a distinct possibility’.’ It’s no secret that high levels of fat accumulated on the body is unhealthy and can cause serious illness over time. An article in the London Times reports that fat that collects around the internal organs to form the typically male beer belly will also find its way into the bloodstream and in turn, raise your cholesterol levels. This leads to heart and vascular disease and strokes. So its best to drink in moderation. Cheers to that! Hic!