Oct 31, 2007

CHAMPAGNE 101


The Origin of Champagne

It was created by women. Madame de Pompadour, mistress of the French King Loius
XV used to say, “I love champagne because it is the only wine that leaves a woman
beautiful after drinking it.” It is more sophisticated, intimate and emotional than
drinking wine.

In 1964, when LVMH the holding company of Moet et Chandon took over
Christian Dior cosmetic, both champagne and Dior Perfume sold equally as they are
popular as gifts for women.

Sir Winston Churchill reputedly drank a bottle a day.

John M. Keynes regret in life was not to have drunk enough champagne.

The Benefits of Drinking Champagne
Champagne is more sensual than aphrodisiacs because drinking it makes one look
sexy rather than the wine itself that is sexy. And people often buy them for house
parties.

The way to drink Champagne
To bring out the spirit, delicacy and beauty of drinking champagne, one must use the
right glass, the champagne must be chilled an the surrounding must be a little bit
sophisticated.

BEER 101


The Origin of Beer
Beer was discovered by accident some 6,000 years ago by the ancient Sumerian people in what is now Iraq. They cultivated crops like wheat, emmer and barley which they turn into dough to make bread. A story goes that one forgetful baker left some dough in a bowl of water. Left to ferment in the open, the drink was subsequently turned into alcohol (the air converted the starches into sugars and then alcohol). When he drank it he experienced that euphoric and uplifting sensation. The farmer then organised the first beer party in history, which sparked the proliferation of the brewing industry.


Beer & Their Most…
The world oldest still-operating brewery: was founded in Germany in 1040 AD.

The highest consumption rate per capita: Czech Republic follow by Ireland and Germany.

The alcohol content of the world’s strongest beer: Samuel Adam’s Uopias (has 25% alcohol content)

The most expensive beer: US$4,910 (S$7,725) for the first bottle off the production line of Sam Adam’s Millennium Beer

Beer & Their Right Glass
Newcastle Brown Ale – Tulip glass
BelleVue Kriek(Fruit Beers) – Stange
Cascade Light (Light Lager) – Half-pint Glass
Brewerkz (Wheat Beer) – Weizen Glass
Guiness (Stout) – Brandy Glass
Heineken (Lager) – Pint Glass
Pilsner Urquell(Czech Lager) – Pilsner Glass


Beer Talk & Their Phrases
Rule of the Thumb
– When primitive brewers needed to find out the temperature of the brew before adding yeast, they stuck their thumb n to gauge how hot it was
Mind your Ps & Qs
– When beer was still in pint and quart containers the bar keeper keep a tab on how much Ps & Qs were consumed so people could be aware of how much they drank and control their intake and expenditure
Cock & Bull Story
– This comes from and English town in Stratford where there are two pubs called The Cock and The Bull. The saying goes when a story started in The Cock it would have been twisted by the time it fot to The Bull.
Honeymoon
– It started in ancient Babylon where the father-in-law would give as much honey beer as his son-in-law wanted for the first month of marriage
One for the Road
– It started in ancient time when the final drink that was given to the condemned prisoners before they were headed off to their public execution
Scot Free
– When in olden days, the state used to mark pub bills was called a scot. You got off Scot Free meant that you don’t have to pay for your drinks.


Drinking Beer For their
The ideal for females is 20g a day and for males is 40g a day. It has vitamin A,D,E,K and B Complex. Beer can lower blood pressure, reduce strokes and heart attack. And it is good for distressing when you go for a drink of beer to chill out after work with your buddies. Moreover it has lower alcohol content than wine. For example, Singha Beer has 6%, Chang 6.4%, & Tiger 5%. You don’t get “Beer Belly” from drinking but from snacking when you drink beer.

Good beer are usually:
-visually bright and has golden appearance with consistent colour throughout and rich in froth.
-smell fruity, fresh, sweet or bitter
-and they never taste sour.

Swirl the beer around the mouth while taking a small breadth of air but never spit it out like wine tasting.


THE LAD’S PRAYER
Our beer
Which art in Barrels
Hallowed by the drink
They will be drunk
I will be drunk
At Home as it is in the local
Forgive us this day
Daily Spillage
As we forgive those who
Spillest against us
And lead us not into
Practice of poncey wine tasting
And deliver us from alcopops
For mine is the bitter
The ale and the lager
Forever and ever

Oct 30, 2007

Tea 101


To a Tea… House in Singapore

Tea Chapter @ 9A Neil Road

Hediard Café Boutique @ 125 Tanglin Road

House @ 8D Dempsey Road

Royal Copenhagen Tea Lounge & Restaurant @ 2F Takashimaya

Essential Brew Tea Café & Restaurant @ 269 Holland Ave

Yixing Xuan Teahouse@ 30/32 Tg Pagar Rd

====================

Origin of Drinking Tea

Back in 2737BC, according to Chinese Mythology, Emperor Shen Nung was drinking a fun-filled cup of freshly boiled water when some dried leaves fell into the water from a nearby bush, creating the world’s first brew. Then it spread to Japan, Europe and other countries. The English started the tea gardens and the Americans came up with tea bags.

Connoisseur Tea

From China - Aged Puer(slimming tea), Silver Needle(exquisite tea plucked in spring before the buds open), Pre-Qing Ming Dragon Well(green teas), Imperial Golden Cassia (a lightly fermented oolong tea), Scarlet Robe(Espresso of Teas) &….

From Sri Lanka – Ceylon Breakfast

From Japan – Japanese Green Bancha Tea with Rice & Corn (rich in vitamin C & anti-cacinogenic properties)

From South Africa – Rooibos (Red Tea)

==================

Ingredient of a good Brew

To brew a perfect cuppa, you need to have the perfect temperature & quality of water, tea leaves and its infusion time.

The optimum infusion time for Japanese green tea is 20 seconds, and for oolong tea is 30 seconds.

People scald the teapot before making tea to moisturize the tea leaves in order to bring out the taste of the tea.

Bubbles in the teapot are undesirable because the bubbles contain air and hence diminish the amount of anti-oxidants in tea if present.

The proper way to store tea leaves are the put them in a special canister or air-tght Ziploc bag.

Tea leaves are better quality than tea bags because tea bags comprise of powdered tea.

Alternative uses of tea are, you can collect them and zip them up in a pillow case to make a tea pillow. You can also use expired tea leaves as fertilizer for your plants, Green tea absorb radiation and it’s advisable to have a cup of green tea besides the computer screen.


Cup of Tea 30-60 mg(in descending order of caffeine content are)
-black tea,
- oolong tea,
- green tea and
- white tea
(longer brewing time increases content)


==========================

Tea and Henry V

The Battle of Agincourt took place on October 25, 1415, in France. Shakespeare wrote a play about it. Most versions now in existence have expunged the tea bits.

Henry, the fifth one, was King of England and a slice of France. He was continually excluded from tea parties in Paris. It was said, a fellow would dress up as a dolphin be most amusing at these gatherings. Henry liked a good tea party. He didn’t take kindly to not being invited. He was miffed.

Henry, the man of action, acts. He raises an army, and, as all the history books will tell you, he marches his troops across the English Channel. Exactly how he does this is lost in the mists of time.

He arrives in France very wet. This doesn’t improve his mood. He lays siege to several castles, and then yells some stirring words about getting into his breeches. Henry is keen to wear his new pants at the tea party.

The sieges are terrible. The thirsty, tea-drinking rabble teems over castle walls, across drawbridges and make for castle kitchens. There, the battle-mad invaders brew up pots of tea. They devilishly force conquered French maidens to bring them biscuits and cakes. The victorious rabble soon becomes indolent under effects of French tea and cake. In no time, they are learning the French words for please and thank you.

Henry won’t let his men idle long. His thoughts are on Paris, elegant salons, cups of tea, dainty cakes, and the chance to dress up as a dolphin, too.

It’s been raining for days, and it’s raining now. He’s pushing his troops forward. Then, just outside the town of Agincourt, he sees some 30,000 French on the hill. They taunt the English by holding up giant teacups on the tops of their umbrellas. This is strictly against the rules of chivalry.

If the sight is not enough to terrify and madden the soggy English, the French now cry, in one well-rehearsed sing-songy voice, “You’re not coming to our party.” They do this of course in French, so its devastating effect is lost on the English, except for a few noblemen who had been privately educated. These cleverly put their fingers in their ears.

Henry has only 5000 thirsty archers and 900 other fellows who could get in a very nasty mood if they don’t get their tea. But Henry and his army are vastly outnumbered. His troops become dispirited. He unrolls his almanac and notices that it is Saint Crispin’s day. Then, he has a fit of supreme eloquence. He galvanizes his troops in true Shakespearean form:

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers,
For he today that drinks tea with milk and no sugar,
Shall be my brother: be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition.
And gentlemen of England, now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here:
And hold their manhoods cheap, whiles any speaks
That drank tea with us upon Saint Crispin’s day!”

With that, a loud hurrah! and off they go to win a decisive victory. Henry gets to go to the tea party, where he meets a nice French girl. He slips her a few cups of broken orange pekoe and, under the influence, she consents to be his girlfriend. Now formally admitted to the sumptuous Paris tea party, Henry also takes to the habit of dressing up as a dolphin.

============

CHAMOMILE TEA

Nutritional Values
-Anti-stress & Calming Herbal Tea
-Comforting benefits like relieving morning sickness and PMS
-Hyperactivity Breaker,Ulcer Protection
-Good for Sound Sleep & Sweet Dream, sooths Sport Aches & Pain
-Cure for diarrhea, gastritis, indigestion, loss of appetite and liver disorders

Oct 23, 2007

Top 20 Singapore Dishes

Yummy yum yum...
Listed below are the dishes and the places that you could get to savour these heavenly dishes. HAPPY FEASTING!

1. Dong Po Pork
The Palms @ Changi Beach Club
2. Pork in Spicy Sauce
Silk Road Restaurant @ Amara Singapore
3. Ying Yang
Barnacles Restaurant & Bar @ Siloso, Sentosa
4. Sichuan Mala Hotpot
The Magic of Chongqing Hot Pot @ Tanglin Shopping Centre
5. Mushroom Steamboat
Mushroom Park Restaurant @ Serangoon Garden Way
6. Peking Duck
Pine Court Chinese Restaurant @ Meritus Mandarin
7. Fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon
Pu Tien @ Kitchener Road
8. Baised Lion’s Head Meatball with Crab Roe
Grand Shanghai @ Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel
9. Chili Crab
Long Beach @ East Coast Parkway
10. Sichuan Salivating Chicken with Centure Eggs
Xi Yan @ Craig Road
11. Fried Carrot Cake in XO Sauce
Taste Paradise @ Mosque St
12. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Sha Tin@ Geylang Lorong 3
13. Lover’s Platter
Summer Palace@ The Regent Singapore
14. Or Nee
Spring Juchunyuan @ Far East Sq
15. Baked Crab with White Cream Sauce
Canton Wok by Chef Kang@ 382 Joo Chiat Road
16. Drunken Live Prawn Flambe
Min Jiang @ Goodwood Park Hotel
17. Alaskan King Crab
Long Beach Seafood Restaurant@ East Coast Parkway
18. Sweetened Cream of Almond with Egg White
Hua Ting@ Orchard Hotel
19. Teochew Steamed Pomfret
Guan Hin Teochew Restaurant @ Block 34, Whampoa West
20. Yam Ring
Dragon Phoenix Restaurant @ Novotel Clarke Quay

Oct 18, 2007

SOYA YOUR MIRACLE FOOD

Rich sources of Soya: Edamame, Soya Yogurt, Soya Milk, Light Tofu & Veggies Burgers
It has long been touted as a miracle food as it helps to:

1) Prevents heart disease as it is a good alternative to meat and it is lower in cholesterol-raising saturated fat.

2) Protects your bones as it is rich in calcium and low in fat

3) Makes you smarter as it is estrogen and isoflavones. It helps to enhance the connection between brain cells, improving memory and problem solving skills.

Oct 16, 2007

Best (& Worst) Restaurants in Singapore (2006)

An online lifestyle magazine run by a young ... i have reviewed many restaurants in the past year, and it took ... edmund@givingforward.com View all
...sparklette.net/archives/best-worst-restaurants-in-2006 - 217k - Cached

Oct 9, 2007

Oktoberfest History

The Royal Wedding

Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12th October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event.

The fields have been named Theresienwiese ("Theresa's fields") in honor of the Crown Princess ever since, although the locals have since abbreviated the name simply to the "Wies'n".

Horse races in the presence of the Royal Family marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest.

The Oktoberfest continues in 1811
In 1811 an added feature to the horse races was the first Agricultural Show, designed to boost Bavarian agriculture.
The horse races, which were the oldest and - at one time - the most popular event of the festival are no longer held today. But the Agricultural Show is still held every three years during the Oktoberfest on the southern part of the festival grounds.

In the first few decades the choice of amusements was sparse. The first carousel and two swings were set up in 1818. Visitors were able to quench their thirst at small beer stands which grew rapidly in number. In 1896 the beer stands were replaced by the first beer tents and halls set up by enterprising landlords with the backing of the breweries.
The remainder of the festival site was taken up by a fun-fair. The range of carousels etc. on offer was already increasing rapidly in the 1870s as the fairground trade continued to grow and develop in Germany.

172st Oktoberfest 2005
Today, the Oktoberfest is the largest festival in the world, with an international flavor characteristic of the 21th century: some 6 million visitors from all around the world converge on the Oktoberfest each year.

And since the Oktoberfest is still held on the Theresienwiese, the locals still refer to the event simply as the "Wies'n". So "welcome to the Wies'n" means nothing other than "welcome to the Oktoberfest"!

Source: Vilage, Oktober Fest, Singapore

Healing with Food

Cold & Sore Throats
Introduction

Eating a well-balanced diet, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, gives you the best possible basis for good health. Even so, there will be times when you will succumb to coughs and colds, wake up with a headache, or feel a bit down in the dumps.

The good news is that eating specific foods can be of enormous help in easing all sorts of everyday ailments, either by helping the immune system to work more efficiently, supplying essential nutrients that have been lacking in the diet, or by helping to restore balance to a body system that is under stress.

A little of what you fancy may do you good!


Learn
Take advantage of the latest nutritional and medical research to improve your diet and health.

Eat yourself well with delicious recipes, and learn how diet can play a part in slowing down the ageing process, boosting the immune system and helping you to enjoy optimum nutrition.

Source: Beauty Feasts

Beauty and Raw Food


  • One of the best ways to improve the appearance of your skin is by incorporating raw food into your diet.

    Beautiful skin starts from the inside out.

    People who switch to eating mostly raw food often see an improvement in their skin and look younger.

    Eating cooked food overtaxes the body’s enzyme reserves.

    Eating more raw food decreases the amount of digestive enzymes your body has to produce.

    Raw foods are foods in their natural state with the enzymes left intact.

    Raw foods high in enzymes include sprouts, papaya and pineapple

    Antioxidants counteract free radicals that age the skin. Berries, especially blueberries, are potent antioxidants that promote collagen which reduces wrinkles.

    Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruit help rid the body of free radicals keeping the skin looking young.

    Foods high in the antioxidant beta carotene including carrots and apricots protect the skin against sun damage.

    spinach, broccoli and peanuts are foods high in CoQ10.

    When the body rids itself of toxins, it passes through the skin which is the largest elimination organ.

    Raw food increases your detoxification rate.

    Drinking water helps the body rid itself of toxins.

    Seaweed is high in vitamins and minerals beneficial to the skin and also helps rid the body of toxins.

    To achieve a healthy complexion, drink plenty of water and eat plenty of raw food.

    What goes into your body is reflective in your overall appearance.

    by: Elizabeth Kiely


Beauty Foods That Will Keep You Young and Healthy

You’ve heard that old saying: True beauty comes from within. Well, now nutritional experts have confirmed that you really are what you eat.Forget French fries and fatty hamburgers. If you want to look beautiful and feel young and healthy, you’ll eat a generous variety of super foods that have been proven to work wonders on the human body.

Whether you’re on a low fat diet, low carb diet, or no diet, adding these super foods to your plate should become as second nature to you as putting your lipstick on in the morning.

Healthy Skin – Eat: blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, currants, purple grapes, pumpkin, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes

Healthy Eyes – Eat: broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, mustard greens, turnip greens

Strong Bones – Eat: yogurt, kefir, soy, tofu, Drink: skim milk

Reduce Stress – Eat: beans (navy, pinto, red, black, etc.), green beans, sugar snap peas, green peas, chick peas

Boost Immune System – Eat: turkey, skinless chicken breast, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spinach, Drink: black or green tea

Sun Protection for Skin – tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit

Oct 2, 2007

ONLINE SUPERMARKETS

Easy & Lazy ways to shop

Do away with those rush hour, traffic, finding a parking space and standing in line
at the check-out queue to pay. Most of them provide free delivery services above
a certain amount and usually the delivery charges are between $5.00 to $8.00.
Just a click-a-market away. Do check out these websites:

www.fairprice.com.sg
They offer the lowest prices with a huge range of groceries.

www.coldstorage.com.sg
They are known for western food but their prices are a tad more expensive than NTUC & YQ

www.yq.com.sg,
The have fewer items than NTUC & Cold Storage. Their website is easy to navigate and user-friendly

www.egrocy.com
Famous for Indian food, novelty & meditation stuffs.

WINE 101



Singaporeans adore good food and wines and are happy to pay ay price that they can afford. Life is too short to drink bad wine and eat bad food. Wine types encompass sparkling wine, whites, red, sweet wines and many more. For a larger collection, a wine fridge is de rigeur where you can keep the wine at 12 degrees Celsius and 75 percent humidity. If you’re a wealthy wine connoisseur, you can build your own wine cellar and have them double up as bomb shelter.


White vs Red:
Although red is perceived as having health benefits and is trendier, more people are moving beyond the traditionally popular red to white. Whine white such as ‘cult’ wines like Cloudy Bay from New Zealand are being consumed more here.

Countries of origin:
While Australian and French wines still rule, wines from other countries are giving them a run for their money. Top contenders are Chile, South Africa and New Zealand. For a small collection, a fridge is best. Wyndam Estate Bin 888 from Australia are usually sold out during CNY in Singapore because of its lucky number. France is popular for high-end premium wines.

Sparkling wines:
Champagne are becoming more widespread. Champagnes like James Bond’s “Bollinger Grand Annee 1997 Champagne” while Italy’s Bistol’s Proseco di Valdobbiadene.

25 - 27 Oct // Wine for Asia 2007 It is Asia's most comprehensive international wine exhibition and Sopexa's first inaugural French Pavilion. Read on... ...

8 - 11 Nov // Bonjour French Fair Come down for another season of food and wine at the Bonjour French Fair! There will even be a Giant Eiffel Tower for you to hang the wish of your choice. Read on to find out more.......

19 - 23 Nov // Alsace meets Asia 2007 The yearly affair with Alsace Wine is once again back from the 19 Nov - 23 Nov 2007 with more events. Read on to find out how you can be a part of it... ...

15 Nov // Beaujolais Nouveau Join us on the 15th of Nov to mark the celebration of "Beaujolais Nouveau"! Look out for promotions available with purchase of the wine at Cold Storage, Isetan and Carrefour. More details will be coming your way so keep a look out... ... More Events >>

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