Food Trip

I have a habit of imagining eating different food when I’m working. It leaves me hungry and irritable for many hours. But I do it anyway. I sometimes describe my cravings in detail to B, causing one or both of us to eventually cave in to mindless snacking. I’ll share it with you guys here today:

Good, hot coffee in a paper cup.
First the cup (I have a thing for paper cups)– a thick uncoated stock, slightly rough to the touch. Then the coffee — dark with an unmistakable intoxicating aroma. I add a little milk, stir it gently and take a long, slow sip.

Oreo cheesecake
Slightly salty, a hint of bitterness, all rich and sweet. No, thanks, I can’t, wait, yes please, just a small slice. For now.

Fresh salmon sushi
Succulent, sweet salmon and a touch of wasabi on top of vinegared rice. I dip it ever so slightly in soya sauce and think to myself, “Lyn (a friend who doesn’t eat raw fish) doesn’t know what she is missing”

Shiny glazed donut
Sinking my teeth into a warm pillow of deliciousness, the glaze crack and crumble onto my lap. My pants are dirty but my mouth is happy. :o

Chocolate almond bar
This is it — the perfect chocolate bar – in between milk and dark. A dark milk? Or a milky dark? It doesn’t matter, really. There are almonds, toasted to brown perfection with every satisfying bite.

Pancakes
See formula for simple happiness number 2.

What are you craving today?

Junk Food Day

After looking at the cute stuff from Re-Ment, I found myself craving for a lot of things. The sad thing is, I got myself a lot of junk food and ate them in one sitting:

1 garlic butter bread
1 bowl instant noodles
1 coffee-filled chocolate bar
3 slices of white bread with chocolate spread
1 bag of salted nuts
6 Mentos
1 can of Pringles chips (oh oh!)

Not too proud of myself. I’m having a bit of a tummy ache. I wonder why…

Saturday Summary

Do I hear a collective shout of “The weekend is here, let’s PARTAY!”? If you’ve signed up to blog for NaBloPoMo March there’s a very good reason to celebrate today because, it means you have made it through the first week of posting everday. Congrats fellow bloggers! I’m so happy for us! :)

It’s been a jam-packed week here. If you’ve just tuned in, we’ve just finish Food week. Some (possibly very, very useless) highlights of the week:

On Monday, we got to know a fruit that can perform “miracles”
On Tuesday, we learnt that seasonings top the list of things I’d bring to desert island
On Wednesday, we found out the cause of my rumbling tummy at night
On Thursday, we discovered that there is such a thing as a blue lobster
On Friday, we read a few non-life changing facts about me

All in all, a fruitful week for Growing Happiness. Now excuse me while lay off the weak food puns and partay (read: eat, drink and sleep) the rest of the day away.

Related posts
Random Sunday – Names
31 Days of Lists – I Have A Plan

Thank-Goodness- It’s-Food Day

I’m grateful for…

…being able to find pleasure and enjoyment in simple meals. I’m equally happy with a tuna sandwich as I am with a salmon sashimi; with a cup of instant coffee as I am with a double shot of Guatemala Antigua Arabica.

…having a McDonald’s within walking distance from my house. I know it’s not the best nor healthiest choice when it comes to food, when you’re but hungry at 11 pm, a situation I regularly find myself in, it’s heaven-sent.

…knowing when to stop eating. As a teen, I’d gorge myself silly with junk food. Nowadays I stop after four donuts and a large fry. Heh.

…loving my fruit and vegetables. I could just eat salads for weeks. I think my body has an in-built ying-yang system. I’d eat extremely unhealthy, artery-clogging McMeals for days and then I’d crave for a rabbit buffet.

…being able to smell my food. I lost my sense of smell once. You would think that one would eat less when this happens but no! You have to eat a lot more to make up for feeling unsated with your tasteless food.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thursday Trivia

It’s nearly the end of the week. As I turn my gear down a few notches towards weekend mode (aka total slacker mode), I’m pleased to leave you with a few bites of information to tickle your palate.

1. Hot King, Cool Queen
   In South-East Asia, the durian is known as the king of fruits. The queen of fruits is purportedly the mangosteen. The Chinese consider durians “heaty” while mangosteens are believed to have “cooling” properties. This is why some people believe in eating The Queen after bingeing on The King (to counteract the heatiness). I don’t know how true this cooling/heaty thing is, but I once got sick with a sore throat and fever for 3 days after feasting on durian mooncakes. Then again, I should have stopped at 9 slices(?!!).
2. Get This Monkey Off Your Back
   According to a study conducted with rhesus macaques, eating dinner late doesn’t necessarily lead to weight gain. (This is for S, who insists on having dinner before 6.30. Come on, live a little! :D )
3. Step On the Gas
   Fruits and vegetables release ethylene gas as they ripen. Some fruit, like apples and avocados are high ethylene-producers; others are ethelyne-sensitive. You can speed up the ripening process of some fruits by placing high ethylene-producing fruits near them. Alternatively, sealing an unripe fruit in a paper bag prevents the gas from escaping thus hastening its ripening process.
4. It’s Just Soy
   Edamame is just a fancy name for young soya beans (accept it, Polly).
5. Once in a Blue Lobster
   The odds of finding a blue lobster is about one in two million. A yellow one? One in 30 million.

Related links
Yin and Yang in Chinese Cooking

Why I Go to Bed Hungry Every Night

I have quite a number of food-related websites for you to feast on for “Wednesday Websites”. Bon Appetit!

Let me set the record straight — I don’t really cook. If you consider boiling spaghetti and then serving it with premade sauce from a jar cooking then, then I do “cook”, but that’s about it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the art of cooking. I love watching cooking shows. Every night before I sleep I tune in to the food channel. It’s my way of relaxing. I love eating too but I prefer desserts and snacks; the main meal, not as much. I derive great pleasure from looking at gorgeous pictures of food (evident from the amount of food books and magazines I buy) and boy do I love food blogs!

Blogs I Visit Every Day Without Fail

Delicious Days by Nicky- The yummiest looking food blog on the net, but I bet you already know that
Nordjlus by Keiko – Inspiring photography and stories

Blogs I Visit Regularly

Foodbeam by Fanny – When I need a sweet fix
Chubby Hubby by Aun – Cooking and dining in Singapore
Kuidaore by Joycelyn – The sugar artisan

Long Service Award

101 Cookbooks by Heidi – A blog I’ve been following since the beginning of time. Ok, since 2003, nevertheless, a very long time in blog-years. Still inspiring as ever.

Recent Favourites

Oswego Tea by Michele – Personal ramblings and a side of food
White On Rice Couple by Diane and Todd- An entertaining and informative food blog
Rasa Malaysia – Blog with a focus on Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine

Other Food-Related Communities and Websites

Tastespotting - Gorgeous visual inspiration.
Open Source Food by Yong Fook – Recipes contributed and rated by fellow food lovers
Chow – Great resource for eating and drinking

All-Time Favourite Website

Martha Stewart Food
I know a lot of you are closet Martha Stewart fans but I’m by far the worst. I’ve only recently contained my addiction to Martha Stewart magazines- Living, Kids AND Food (Please note again, I don’t have kids nor do I cook – I buy the magazines just to look at the pictures!). I am now limiting my MS addiction online.

As I’ve mentioned above, I have a habit of watching cooking shows in bed, right before I sleep. It’s little wonder then I always fall asleep with a rumbling tummy! Here are some of my favourite cooks.

Night Time Treats

The Hilarious Anthony Worrall Thompson (Love his voice!)
The Hypnotic Nigella Lawson
The Inspiring Jamie Oliver
The Intrepid Anthony Bourdain
The Laid-Back Rob Rainford
The Far-Flung Keith Floyd
The Fiery Gordon Ramsey

Have a delicious Wednesday!