More inspirations?

Yes! Just one more Italian inspiration for the weekend. Look what I found in a supermarket in Italy? Hazelnuts enrobed in dark chocolate and covered with White chocolate!

I always love the combination of Dark and White chocolate. The colour is so pretty! Not to mention the combination of a rich cocoa taste with a creamy cocoa butter is simple awesome! I've never really attempted to make a truffle like that before but I shall make it my new truffle challenge real soon!

Have a good food weekend!

An angel or a snowball?

This has got to be my favourite chocolate of all time. I'm usually not a big fan of White Chocolate but this wonderful Italian chocolate from the wonderful makers of Nutella (Ferrero!!!) sure tickles my fancy. They have named it Confetteria Raffaello which is the Italian name of an archangel.

Do not be mistaken.. I'm not doing any commercials for them. I'm just sharing some confections that might inspire you in your next chocolate truffle creation. As the Ferrero site describes this confection as "A whole almond in a delicious milk cream, enclosed in a crisp shell covered in coconut flakes."

This chocolate has inspired Croatian confectioners to come up with a delicious cake that borrowed its name. But whether it is a chocolate or a cake, it looks lovely like a snowball waiting to be discovered.

Speaking of coconut, I really miss the use of fresh shredded coconut in confections. In most countries due to health and safety reasons, the coconut to be used for confectionery is only available as dried coconut flakes treated with a type of sulphate.

However, the lack of freshness does compromise the taste of the coconut in most confections. In Singapore, our Kuehs (that's how we call our cakes/desserts) are usually coated with the fresh shredded coconut that has a sweet taste (maybe due to the presence of coconut oil, I guess) and wonderful aroma.

In addition, in most Southeast Asian confections, Coconut is the most beloved ingredient. I recalled tasting a Philipino bread that has caramelised shredded coconut enrobed in a soft sweet bun. You couldn't describe the satisfaction of eating one of these buns straight from the oven!

Do you have a similar love for anything coconut? Share your favourite coconut dishes!

Croatian Food Names

No I'm not starting a new section introducing you to Croatian language 101. This post is about Croatian names.. yeap.. names for Croatians. What is it doing on a Food Blog or has anything to do with Food you ask? Well.. you'll be amazed.

It struck me the other day how many Croatians love to name their children using Food... or Fruits to be exact. Remember for English names we have Apple being most common Food name for baby girls. In Croatia, they have the equivalent of Jabuka (Yah-Boo-Kah). After asking around a few Croatians, I discovered more Croatian food names.

The list is right here, do help me out if you know of more:

Višnja- Cherry

Dunja- Quince (yes! Quince!)

Limenka- Lemon

Jagoda- Strawberry

Hm... sounds really yummy and cute? Imagine if we have it in Singapore.. naming our children after famous Singapore fruits... Durian Tan, Rambutan Chua, Mangosteen Lee. I think no parents would want to commit such heinous crimes!

First post of the year!

Hi hi everyone and welcome back!

Yes, I was idling the past few weeks and neglecting my blogging duties. Hee hee hee.. but don't lose your sleep over not being able to read any new posts on my blog as I am back! Hm.. kind of.

Here's some stuff I have in mind, I will continue the few sections that I did last year: Food News, Recipes and Cooking Tips. One section - Chef's Garden has to be put on hold as my plants are not exactly surviving well into the winter. My lemongrass has gone into hibernation! I will plant a new batch in spring and continue with some tips I found on the web!

I will include a section dedicated to Croatia where I call my home for the past year. I will put up pictures and some recipes that I found regarding Croatian desserts. And I do appreciate it if anyone who is familiar with it to help me out!

That's pretty much all. Hope to hear more comments from you *my precious* readers and into the new year we go!!

Happy New Year!

This 2008 ended with a big Boom in the financial market. Let's hope that 2009 starts off with a soft throttle and recover its footsteps by the end of the year.

For my dearest family back in Singapore, I miss you all dearly. May the best happen for all of you. The sweetest blessing to our family will be born in the warmest home. Hope time will go by quicker so that I can see all the lovel smiles on all your faces real soon!

To my friends and acquaintances in Singapore, UK, Croatia and wherever you are on earth, I wish the best for all of you as well. May the financial crisis not hit you too hard. Your homes be always filled with food and laughter. And you are always in my thoughts.

And the rest of my Blogger friends and anyone I know through the web in one way or another, I wish to be able to see you in person real soon.. to give you a big hug for giving me support in all the toughest times and advices when I'm stuck.

Lastly, for those who chanced upon this Blog for the first time, may you be HAPPY! Eat well, stay healthy!