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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Chronicles of Signature Park - the moving, the creativity and the pantry!

One thing I can't stand is waste of food! I see food not only as the object of one of the biggest pleasures in life, but, first of all, it is the fuel that keeps us going. It is a sacred gift that millions can't afford and the humanitarian programs' statistics show its privation as prior reason of death in poor countries. So, I think every one should feel grateful for having fridge and pantry full and avoid wastage.

As I have shared with you before, I learned, at early age, from my mum, that it is possible to reuse left overs and "recycle" ingredients, - remember of the 'bread pudding dilemma'? - and I duly put it in practice!

I'm moving out of the apartment I lived for one year and will stay in a hotel for a couple of weeks, so, I can't take the remainings in the fridge with me. I have been using all tricks I know to combine ingredients and 'customize' recipes to use them up. Also thanks to recipe books, notes and the glorious internet...

On this mission, I have come up with unique and unexpected sandwiches, pizzas, wraps, salads, pies, spreads, sauces, soups, cakes, cookies etc... most of them, edible! :-)

My famous orange cake was transformed in tangerine cake and even in grapefruit cake! The second one didn't turn into my best outputs, but the oat cookies transformed in wheat cookies were precious!


                                                                                                               F. Rodrigues

I even had the chance to experiment with dishes I don't really appreciate much, such as jelly. I was never a huge fan of jelly desserts, but, since I had a small package of unflavored gelatine, I combined it with cassis syrup and chopped strawberries and now I regret I finished the ingredients and can't repeat the refreshing treat, perfect for hot afternoons...

The pumpking jam with brown sugar was particularly tasteful. I only didn't like much the dark brown color instead of the vibrant orange color it has when done with white sugar. Anyway, it goes well with buffalo mozzarella!

                                                                   F. Rodrigues

It was really fun time! I feel alive when play around with my creativity. And the perspective of having a nice bite in the end and also to sharing it with others (or I would turn into a whale before the pantry was empty!) was inspiring.

After weeks of ingredients juggling and calories shared with friends, the pantry is almost clear and the fridge will be switched off after I finish the bottle of milk... and I'll be ready to go...

... but, with new recipes to share in Terra Brasilis! :-D

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CRÔNICAS DE SIGNATURE PARK - A MUDANÇA, A CRIATIVIDADE E A DESPENSA!

Se tem uma coisa que não suporto é desperdício de comida! Comida, pra mim, não é só o objeto de um dos maiores prazeres que a vida oferece, mas, antes de mais nada, o combustível que nos mantém vivos. É uma dádiva que milhões de pessoas não tem acesso e que estatísticas de programas humanitários mostram como principal razão de mortes em países pobres. Então, acho que todos devem se sentir agradecidos por ter a geladeira cheia e evitar o desperdício.

Como já contei antes, aprendi, desde pequena, com a minha mãe, que é possível o reaproveitamento de sobras e ingredientes - lembra do "dilema do pudim de pão"? - e eu realmente ponho isso em prática!

Estou me mudando de um apartamento que morei por um ano e vou ficar num hotel, por duas semanas,  então, não vou poder levar comigo o que tiver na geladeira. Tenho usado todos os truques que conheço pra combinar ingredientes e 'adaptar' receitas pra usá-los. Graças também a cadernos e livros de receitas e à gloriosa internet...

Nessa operação, acabei criando inusitados sanduíches, pizzas, wraps, saladas, patês, molhos, sopas, bolos, biscoitos etc... a grande maioria, "comível"! :-)

O meu famoso bolo de laranja foi transformado em bolo de tangerina e até em bolo de grapefruit! Esse último não foi a melhor das minhas criações, mas, os cookies the aveia que viraram cookies de farelo de trigo, estavam deliciosos!

Até tive a chance de experimentar com pratos que nem gosto muito, como gelatina. Nunca fui fã de gelatina, mas, já que eu tinha uma caixinha de gelatina sem sabor, misturei com licor de cassis e morangos picadinhos e agora lamento que acabou tudo e não vai dar pra repetir a receita, perfeita pra uma tarde quente de verão...

O doce de abóbora com açúcar mascavo ficou bem gostoso. Só não amei a cor marrom escuro em vez daquela cor laranja vibrante que tem quando feito com açúcar branco. De qualquer maneira, foi bem com mussarela de búfala!

Me diverti bastante! Me sinto viva quando posso brincar com a minha criatividade. E a perspectiva de comer algo gostoso no final e ainda dividir com outras pessoas (senão eu iria virar uma baleia antes de limpar com a despensa!) foi inspiradora.

Depois de semanas de malabarismos com ingredientes e calorias divididas com os amigos, a despensa está quase vazia e a geladeira será desligada assim que o leite acabar... daí, estarei pronta para partir...

... mas, com novas receitas pra dividir na Terra Brasilis! :-D

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Is it FUN or BORING?

It is a state of mind, my friend!! I think you will agree with me that something can be lots of fun for some people and, at the same time, appear sooooo boring to others. Exactly the same thing, in the same position, under the same sky!! Whatever the thing is: color, song, movie, place, pet, dish, conversation, work... whatever! To satisfy all senses of all people around, is impossible. I dare to go straight to "impossible" instead of being euphemistic by suggesting the existance of anything with the magical power of praising all beings on Earth! Hu-hu! There's no such a thing!

The best example I have to illustrate my point is Singapore! This small tropical city-state island in the South Eastern Asia. When I moved to live in Singapore, three years ago, the locals, my new friends, asked me how long I intended to stay, predicting a short stay because they "knew" I would, very soon, get bored from Singapore!! Hehehe... They couldn't be more wrong! I love Singapore!


The city itself is not too big, only around 700km2, but with over 5 millions residents, the first thing you learn about living in Singapore is that "there will be a queue"!! Sometimes, it gets to your nerves, but, if you simply accept the fact and relax, you might even have the chance to engage in a nice chat! But, when you're waiting for your turn to order a good meal for only USD 5 or don't have to worry about muggers assaulting you before you catch a cab home after great clubbing with your friends, it is not the end of the world to spend a few minutes in the queue, right?

The city is vibrant, crowded, noisy. Also, extremely clean, organized and safe. Not to mention the greenery that covers the whole city, with no exception, like a huge garden.

But, none of these make it boring or fun! What makes it boring is if you see not more than shopping malls and hawker centres as available attractions! Although, these places can be much fun too... but, what people use to tell me is that you get fed up of them quickly. I think it is right. If you spend years, or your whole life, going to shopping malls and coffee shops ONLY, of course you will start to want something more from life!

In that case, one should have a walk at Chinatown and visit the new Buddhist Temple and its museum that tells the story of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) and has free entry! All around, there are good eateries and shops of all kinda stuff.



Then, you could try Little India, the Indian neighbourhood, where you meet them, the Indians residing here, shopping for groceries. You'll find colorful saris and bindis, all 'bery cheap', as they say... it feels like a flash trip all the way to India!
A lazy stroll at Marina Bay, in the dusk, accompanied by your camera, will keep you busy for, at least, a couple of hours: Merlion Park, the stunning three towers skyscraper Marina Bay Sands Resort, The Esplanade Theaters On The Bay with its peculiar 'durian' shaped structure, the floating platform, The Helix bridge, Singapore Flyer... actually, you will need quite a number of visits to see everything. Plus, the happenings round there, plus the cafés and restaurants!



The museums... ah, the museums... are great in Singapore: The National Museum, The Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore Art Museum, and a good number of others, showcasing all cultures blended in this city (Peranakan, Indian, war, philately, toys, science etc etc).
For a little fantasy, a visit to the 'dreamland' of Singapore: Sentosa island and the Universal Studios theme park and its resorts and casino. Beautiful beaches, nice eateries, great attractions for the kids. A good getaway for all ages and budgets! Five minutes away from Singapore!! Only the way there itself can be good fun: cablecar or fast monorail train or even walk along the causeway that connects both islands. But, of course, you can simply take the bus, taxi or drive there.
To hang out after work and enjoy the good dining and wining and clubbing, again, plenty of options. Saint James Power Station, Chijmes, Clarke Quay, Dempsey Hill, Emerald Hill Road offer restaurants, bars, pubs, clubs for all tastes. As well as fine dining that you find at Equinox Complex at the 70th floor of Swissotel The Stamford, Jewel Box, Sentosa island. Many celebrity chefs bear an outlet in Singapore. To name a few: Daniel Boulud, Testsuya Wakuda, Guy Savoy and local flavor Justin Quek with his Sky on 57, at the top of Marina Bay Sands Resort.
If your thing is cultural entertainment, you have it! The cultural scene in Singapore is very vibrant and big productions are, more and more, making a 'stopover' here! All year round, you can find good plays, musicals, concerts etc on, daily. This week, we had Taylor Swift, next week, Eric Clapton, then Carlos Santana and Michael Bublé. A couple of friends of mine can't wait to see The Lion King, in the first week of March. Ok, there will be also Chippendales performing soon, but, nothing is perfect... sory, ah...
Out of the touristic box, it is easy to find anything else to do. You like sports? Try shooting, football, skating, golf, rowing, water skying, swimming, tennis. There's dozens of nicely structured parks for jogging. Looking for improving your professional skills or engaging in a new hobby? Enroll now for lessons of languages, cooking, all styles dancing, all musical instruments playing, painting, yoga, photography, mahjong, art crafts, acting, feng shui, etiquette etc etc etc



But, we can't forget that Singapore is, yeah, indeed, a great place for SHOPPING! Yaay!! All big and fancy brands are present. Sometimes, with better prices than in other parts of the world. If you are looking for some splurging, head Orchard Road, the chic shopping venue.



Some shooping malls are quite an attraction themselves, such as ION Orchard and Orchard Central with their ultra-modern façades. VivoCity is a whole town of meandering alleys and a huge playground on the roof!
I love the possibility of sampling so many different cultures, straight from the natives, a sort of close encounter of the third kind!, without needing to travel. Living in Singapore, you can do a specific culture every day. Besides Chinese (Chinatown), Indian (Little India), you can try Filipino, at Lucky Plaza, specially on Sunday afternoons, Myanma, at Peninsula Plaza. The Malay community is settled all over Singapore, but you see it better highlighted at Paya Lebar, where you can also learn a bit about islamic customs.
And let's not forget the Zoo with its fun Night Safari, the Jurong Bird Park, Wild Wild Wet... also the spas and all kinds of human beings pampering businesses! And Formula 1 Grand Prix at night, e v e r y  y e a r!
It is a whole world of experiences right there, across the street, within the reach of your arm, just waiting for you! So, stand up and let Singapore mesmerize your senses! :-D


Now, tell me: is it FUN or BORING?

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