spices and all sorts

I have moved.Just feel like it. Still under construction,but hope it will be better.

www.ofchutneyandthyme.blogspot.com

See you guys.and if u do read this room..thank you once again.

hmmmm

guys.i wont be blogging in a while + upload pictures is a problem!!!
thank you for brwsing anyhow. i might move as well...watch this space for more :)

In the Sky

I am always amazed what did i do for 13hours in the air..it is like 5 in the morning to 5 in the evening..goodness...

-there is so many channels till it is pointless..because you want to watch this and that..till...you do not know what to watch

-sleeping is useless as well..i get all sorts of weird dreams and aching all over..which make you more tired than before... i just had this dream of the air stewardess telling all of us 'who wants to buy rice?'..(i guess because of food prices rising up?)..and they gave us bags of Japanese rice !!

-i did consider doing a face mask...my mom thinks i'm mad.....

-read..you get things all over you..till it is really a headache to read

-try stretching around..till the person's next to you gap and open their mouth so wide till a golf ball can go in..you feel disgusted all over...

This time..is interesting. My mum ( i do not know why) requested a no beef menu for me..because 'plane's beef are like elastic bands..you chew and chew..you just could not possibly swallow...' 'Alright....'

Although plane food are like hospital food..the difference is that you can tick the menu off a paper in a hospital than on a plane..but i still like the 'little surprises' of what is beneath the foil paper...

Minutes after I settle myself down..

'Are you Theresa B.han?'
.....yes?'
'hmmm..you are not vegetarian,are you?' 'Not really...'
He looks at me with the why-the-menu-request-then look...

The next thing I know, I cannot choose what I want..whether the chicken or lamb(the first meal)..or the chicken and beef (the second menu..okay..i obviously cannot choose the 'beef')

'Here you go,Theresa'
He gave me a 'special' tray with the note 'no beef' every time
What I do not understand is that..why can't i have the chicken?? Instead I was given fish(no complaints) and a very steam chicken the next meal (although the second meal they have roast chicken)

Nevertheles, he did remember my name..'Bye,Theresa..' as I went off.

I think I'll try a different experiment next time.Requesting upon 'fish only' menu. :)

.withlove.

Food for thought

My phone did the caterpillar dance. *Smiles* Mummy dearest certainly makes my day.

Every time,without fail, while passing through Covent Garden, I must have these yummy-licious Ben's cookies.

If I am not mistaken, that's the only one at Covent Garden...the mere thought of such beautifully done cookies just makes you smile.

.withlove.

Pizza Express

I was curious. It was everywhere, this Pizza Express...I suddenly have this image of me dashing around with a slice of pizza with olives and parma ham flying from one street end to another..never mind me. It must be the post-exams hype.( 4 down..3 more to go!!)

The setting was really chic, eye-catching,some place you're confident that the authenthic making of pizza is well defined. Well, the outlook at least...as I was saying, boy! it was even in Chinatown and they sell the bake-it-yourself ones at Waitrose.You cannot miss them although you try.

where :Pizza Express ...like 300 of them around London?

I had this one at Leicester Square..for once ,was not there for any chinese food.

A little something to kick start the evening.Something simple and nothing too fancy.Freshly baked dough,a dash of extra virgin olive oil and sprinklets rosemary. It came pipping hot but should opt for something like burschetta next time round.Not something fantastic, and yet not too bad.

I find the mains rather blend, to be honest. Perhaps this is how a true Italian pizza should be. It evolves around various types of ham, yellow red peppers, artichokes,chicken breast, all sorts of cheese, mushrooms and not forgetting the basil.You can't go wrong with these. It is a lot of combination of various Italian ingredients.

It is always, as always the seafood for me..but never once do I come across clamps,prawns,calamari......or another one word as close as sea. There was tuna but was an additional side. Well then, have no choice but to look elsewhere...at last, settled on La Reine.Sounds pretty impressive though. Prosciutto cotto ham, mushrooms and it seems..a recipe fit for the Italiain Queen before.hmmm....

It was thin(too thinly) crusted. Perhaps it was just that day or so, but it was rather dry.Half of the pizza 'stiffen' along the way and I literally left the side crust as it was rather 'hard'.And they did not..at least, knife it out for you. Being all prim and proper at first, I was using fork and knife to slice it up. The rest went 'stiff' in the end that I totally gave up and use my fingers to tear them up. The mushrooms and cheese went flying and it was a bit messy.

ps.the spotlight shinning directly at it makes such a lot of difference.

Their pasta range was really good. I think this was cannelloni.Pasta tube stuffed with ricotta and spinach with rich blend of tomato sauce. Certainly rich in taste and creamy. Perfect for cheese lovers.

Perhaps I was expecting a little too much, but the whole dining experince was not fantastic, and yet not a one-off thing. Seeing this at Waitrose the other day, I can't help myself but bought another Pizza Express and bake it myself. It was a whooping £8.20 at Pizza Express and £3.90 at Waitrose. talk about paying the extra for ambience and service charge.

..and I add a little extra on the pizza. Extra mature cheddar from Marks&Spencer. I always find pizzza lacking in this.Always.

Tra la la.The outcome. This reminds me. Lighting is so important at all manner.

Pizza here was great but not something you will crave for though...or go all the way to some place just for Pizza Express.

..and Pizza Express is this. unlike the Americans who practically stuffed and topped them with all possible sorts, from caviar to chocolate, Pizza Express only use the few simple Italian key ingredients-mainly dough, cheese, tomato, with a little variation of ham and herbs and turning them to what is truly defined-an Italian pizza experience.

.withlove.

I Always Love This

So true.

We aint superstars, we are not perfect, we are not worthy, we are never good enough,

but He never fails to be there for me and you.

.withlove.

Food for thought

This is, by far, the most generous filling of sweet temptations I ever come across.

Martabak, something like jian long pao you see in the morning markets in KL..but with whole lot of different (and a lot more) ingredients.

You can choose to have cheese or chocolate rice toppings or both..then

Next.in orderly form,

a layer of margarine

a layer of sweeten milk

a dash of peanut bits

a layer of sugar

another layer of margarine

a layer of cheese/chocolate rice/both

fold over..and another layer of margarine to on top to finish the touch.

Beautiful.

been busy busy busy.and will be busy busy.will not be updating for quite awhile....watch this space in a few weeks time for updates!!!

.withlove.

Eat Eat Eat

My poor dear mk..was searching for Manchester update..as well as mic...well then, if not for my 2 darlings, I did not really intend to do Manchester.Dont get me wrong, it was a lovely getaway from London..and a long needed one.Lazy is the word for it. since you insist.....

here it is. food + great friends= beautiful


The first thing to do was to EAT.First stop.Chinatown. Where else? It was this place call Pacific...incidentally, I learnt a really really awesome term. Sam Siew Mien. 3 barbecue noodles= Char siew + Duck+ Siew Ju + noodle. I was not aware of it...till jo told me.and I went back to London, for the fun of it, I looked it up on a Chinese dining menu..this thing is universal!! oh goodness, I sound so kampung. I think this dish will be just the perfect one for guys.




It was around 4-ish when we had our lunch. and dinner is 2 hours away...we just can't do it. Full to the brim. Instead, we watch a movie, Juno :) in the cinema.£4 only..and it is like...£10 at the Odeon in London??? goodness. Its been such a looooong time I step into one!!! I miss movie-goings in KL where I will just watch Award winning to Bollywood.Those where the days....sigh..




oh! oh! Manchester has this road...a really long one call Curry Mile (Jo, correct?) it is so awesome. Indian dinning one after another. some even sell candy. oh la la. Thanks to Jo, we were her guinea pigs, trying a new one instead of the one she said was good. Since it was not really impressive, I did not really take photos...and I think I kinda take a liking with rogan josh, while jo like the madras.





It was 10-ish when we ate our dinner..the length that we will go just to eat...and jo was so hype up..thinking of taking us to ..Moonlight? an ice-cream shop next. But, we just gave up.If only we had the capacity.





The next day was at Old Trafford.

No. we do not like him in particular. Just thought he was the hottie of them all...naturally..

Just for the fun of it, since I am here...and was in the mood for it.A Manchester United jersey..with my name on it..wohoo..I prefer to be a...striker please :)Quick note, no, I am not really into football...For those of you who know my surname, yea..I put that up instead. I was thinking of putting 14 or 12, even 10..because that is Ronaldinho's number:)Do not question me why, but I 'heart' Ronaldinho ever since.Honestly, guys, how is the jersey number chosen? It cannot be the number of players, sine we have Nani as 17. Can someone tell me how the jersey numbers are chosen?

Then, we head to Old Trafford Center. A major shopping complex...reminds me of Sunway Pyramid though.So, Manchester is not really missing out of shopping,really, compare to London. Of all things...honestly, of all things, we had Krispy Kreme.

Not colourful enough though...i have to say, cinammon bun was not what I expected. One off thing.really.

Next..of all things again...of all things...we had Pizza Hut...lol...jo was craving for their cookie dough. Eh, pizza hut's cookie dough is really superb. Half baked cookie, leaving the dough texture still soft...and pipping hot..with oozing melting chocolate chips, and a vanilla ice cream to finish the touch.. oh la la.

If KL has it, I think I am going to have one when I get back as well. Wonderful....quite impressive actually, from Pizza Hut. Incidentally, I love Ben & Jerry's cookie dough as well....hmmmmmmmm....

jo, what happen to the part where we were suppose to have Korean bbq..and spanish food?and french toasts with your 5 eggs? I wander...

It was awesome catching up with 3 friends-for-life girlfriends, + one skyping all the way from Philly. 4 of us, all at once !!! it will be wicked when all of us get back for summer!!! and sue faye too !! all the crazy weekend plans..and nites out...mk's beautiful summer plan...and just all of us gals growing up with each other.

.withlove.