Melting Pot Fiesta

A review of Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant.

Special guest appearance - Chi

My original impression of Melting Pot is that they serve cheese fondue and chocolate fondue, it turns out that even the main course is served in a fondue-style (our Singapore steamboat style but in a much smaller pot).

We had a fiesta cheese fondue which was quite nice, cheese with a kick to it with the jalapenos.

The main course did not leave much of an impression on me, we ordered some chicken, shrimp and sausage. As we picked the coq au vin as soup base, all the food pretty much taste of burgundy wine. For picking a soup base other than vegetable oil (means deep frying your main course) and vegetable broth, you have to pay an extra $6.

Lastly we picked the flaming turtle for dessert, that we enjoyed immensely but I kinda miss Hagen Daz's fondue. Hah.

This meal cost an average of 40 USD per pax, pricey we concluded.

We invited Chi, an "old boy of NAS", over for home-made dinner, just simple fare- teriyaki pork pork with mushroom, bak ku teh and stir fried cabbage and asparagus topped with bacon.

The vegetable is the most sinful of all surprising because it is stir fried in the bacon's fat but it is oh so yummy haha my 1st experience cooking with animal fat. Indulgent.

Happy Birthday to Ayumi!

Today is Ayumi's birthday, she is entering the terrible 2 but she is so gorgeous and she can just melt you with her eyes. I did a little page for her (more for her mom actually haha).

Isnt she the sweetest?

A look at Kiana will tell you how yummy the Hello-Kitty cake was.


Is my hubby ready to be a daddy already? Looks like it heh.

I want a girl!

Not too successful char siew pau?

I found pau mix in my asian mart and hence decided to give char siew pau a go. This is weird because I almost never eat char siew paus back home (because of my dislike of pork). I only eat the tiny ones from Tanjong Rhu's dimsum shop just because it is too yummy to resist.

I got the recipe from Lily, and I have much to improve, on the fillings as well as the dough. My buns turned tough as soon as they cooled to room temperature, Lily said I might have to knead more. Oh well, hopefully it will turn out better the next time. I really need to improve my shaping method too, been looking up on Youtube for help. My buns are just looking like tao sa pau now, round surface, easiest to shape in short.

Shaping a char siew pau

More lemons...

Rocco Dispirto
Isn't he gorgeous! I have to be honest, it is love at first sight when I first saw him on TV, so much so I have to get his cookbook (yah yah I know...Bimbo with capital B).




Salmon with crunchy broccoli & lemon butter
Recipe is adapted from Real Life Recipes- fast flavor for everyday by Rocco Dispirito

11/2 sticks butter
Juice & zest of 3 lemons
4 8-ounce boneless, skinless salmon fillets
Salt & pepper
5 cups of broccoli florets, washed and drie
3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

1) Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the butter to the pan. When the butter is just melted, remove 2 tbsp and set aside. Coninue to cook the butter untill it turned deep brown in color, swirl often. Continue swiring to blend and make a smooth sauce.
2) Lay the salmon in the sauce. Cover and simmer gently over medium heat untill salmon is just cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
3) While salmon is poaching, prepare the broccoli.
4) Heat a broiler on high. In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with the remaining 2 tbsp butter. Place broccoli on a foil-covered broiler pan and broil it till golden brown, abt 3-4 mins.
5) Toss the broccoli with the lemon zest and tarragon. arrange on a platter. Spoon about 2/3 of lemon sauce evenly over the vegetables. Lay the salmon on top of broccoli and spoon the remaining sauce over the fish.

A modification to his recipe, I did not broil the broccoli, I put them in microwave for 3 minutes on high. There is a broiler function on the toaster oven but I really doubt as to whether it is working.

Lemony treat

I got the urge to make a sort of lemon pound cake after seeing Mandy's delicious lemon yogurt cake, I made some more changes to her recipe. I do not have Greek yogurt on hand, I substituted with plain yogurt and sour cream. I do not know how to not make the cake crack on the top. Any help is appreciated! Today is a tiring day, I helped to babysit Ayumi while her mom ran some errands. Boy, the little princess sapped all my energy.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa At Home

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 container of 6oz plain yogurt
1/4 cup of sour cream
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan or the mini loaf pans.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sour cream, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 50 minutes, (if you are using the big loaf pan) about 25-30 minutes (if you are using smaller pans),or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/4 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

TY's Little Garden

If anyone is wondering what happens to my little plant, don't ask. TY's little garden has been growing very nicely, his side get constant sunlight as compared to our room hidden in the corner. He has a plant whom his mom told him as "Jiu Ceng Ta", after goggling, I found out it is actually Basil. The Italians also grow basil which look distinctly different, I need to read up more about basil which seem to be a very popular ingredient. Check out his spring onion, so pretty isn't it.