My Domestic Art

Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park is one of the largest parks in Singapore, with an area of 62-hectare. It has been said that sightings of wild-life, particularly wild otters and monitor lizards, are common here. Of course, spotting these wild animals are not guaranteed, but we decided to try our luck anyway. Armed with this map that we printed off the Internet, we decided to explore the west side of the park known as the Pond Gardens. Shaded by dense greenery, the well-maintained tracks are ideal for jogging and cycling, or simply a leisurely stroll with the kids. We walked along the river banks, which were surrounded with colourful flowers and foliage. It was indeed peaceful and picturesque! We saw some families with their buckets and nets, doing some longkang fishing too. Great idea for when we come back the next time! Nature lovers will enjoy this park as the lush greenery and unique waterways provide a wide array of interesting flora and fauna.  We conti

Flavourful juicy meat balls, chewy enoki mushrooms and healthy greens, mixed in tasty home-made stock. A bowl of yummy goodness all in one pot! This soup is very hearty and fulfilling, and so easy to put together. Start by making the ikan bilis stock , which takes just about 30 minutes. While the stock is boiling, prepare the meat balls using the same recipe as my  pork and shrimp wontons . And chop up some veggies to add into the soup. I like to use Chinese wong bok as they are slightly crispy and sweet tasting. Bring all to a boil in one pot and you are done! Minced Pork Balls with Enoki Mushroom Soup Ingredients: Ikan bilis stock 150g enoki mushrooms - trim the ends and separate to small bunches ½ head Chinese wong bok - cut to bite-size pieces Mince pork ball mixture: 200g mince pork 100g frozen shrimps - finely chopped 4 pcs shitake mushroom - minced 2 tbsp. light soy sauce 1 tbsp. sesame oil 1 tbsp. oyster sauce 1 egg 2 tbsp. plain flour

When I want a tasty soup but don't have the time to make chicken stock, I turn to this ikan bilis stock recipe. Unlike chicken stock that requires 1-2 hours of boiling, this stock only needs 30 minutes of boiling time. This is fantastic as a soup base for steamboat and other soup dishes, or to be added for cooking whenever stock is required. I got these tea filter bags from Daiso and they are great to put the ikan bilis in and discard after boiling. This saves me the hassle of removing all those black residue left behind by the ikan bilis. But if you don't have them, just pour the stock through a sieve after boiling. Ikan Bilis (dried anchovies) Stock Ingredients: 100g ikan bilis (dried anchovies) 1 inch ginger - bruised 2 litres water salt Instructions: Rinse ikan bilis then put them into tea filter bags (I used 4) Bring water to boil in a soup pot, add ikan bilis and ginger Simmer for 30 minutes Discard ikan bilis and ginger Add salt to taste Thi

Look at how crispy this fritter is! My kids were amazed when I told them they were made of mushrooms. I first had this in a Chinese restaurant some time back. They were so delicious and addictive. I've finally got a chance to try my hand at making them at home and I am very satisfied with the result. These mushroom fritters don't taste like mushrooms at all. Enoki mushroom can be a little chewy when stir fried, but deep frying makes them very crunchy - just like crackers. So yummy and fun to eat! Crispy Fried Enoki Mushroom Fritter Ingredients: 150g enoki mushroom - cut off roots and separate into small bunches To make batter: 5 tbsp. plain flour 1 egg salt and pepper 3 tbsp. water Instructions: Mix flour, salt, pepper, egg in a large mixing bowl, then add water bit by bit until the batter is runny Heat cooking oil in a frying pan for deep frying Add enoki mushrooms bunches by bunches into the batter until evenly coated Separate using

The last time we visited the Chinese Garden we had such a wonderful time that we decided to come back to check out the Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum that is situated within the garden. The entrance to the museum is in the building just behind this long bridge. Entrance fee is $5 per adult and $3 for children below 6. We also got 2 bags of long beans for $4 to feed the turtles. The Museum houses more than 200 turtles and tortoises from over 60 different species. Some of the larger or more dangerous turtles are kept in enclosures or tanks, but there are friendlier ones roaming around freely within the grounds. The first thing we encountered was the large African Turtle near the entrance to the museum. This turtle is huge and very enthusiastic. It shuffled to us the minute it heard us coming. I was initially a little nervous when it opened up its big jaw revealing a row of tiny sharp teeth and yanked the long bean out of our hands. But we all warmed

Pork collar is a dark-coloured meat, with some fat and connective tissues. It is fantastic for a quick cooking steak as the meat is tender, juicy and flavoursome. Perfect for a weekend treat and I know my boys will devour it! The key to making a great pork steak is to tenderize the meat before cooking. I used the back of the knife to hit each steak in a criss-cross pattern before marinating. To ensure even cooking time, each slice should be roughly of the same thickness and size. Another tip is to never overcook the pork as it will dry out and turn hard. Chinese Pork Fillet Steak Ingredients: 400g pork collar steak 2 tbsp. oyster sauce 1 tbsp. light soy sauce 1 tbsp. sesame oil pepper 2 tbsp. corn flour to coat 1-2 tbsp. oil Instructions: Tenderize pork by hitting it with the back of the knife in criss-cross pattern on both sides Marinate pork in oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper for at least 1 hour in the fridge Take out from fridge 30 m

Coming from Indonesia, we eat all sorts of fritters a lot. They are commonly available and there are many variations to keep them interesting. The more common savoury types are corn fritters, vegetable fritters and  potato fritters . My kids and I love them all! They are great on their own as snacks or as a side dish to the main meal. Dip them in a little chilli sauce and they make a perfect treat! These corn fritters are crunchy, delicious and so addictive. Each of us can finish a few of these in one go, including my smallest picky eater. Here he is trying to grab one as soon as they are ready on the table! Corn Fritters (Perkedel Jagung) Ingredients: 2 ears fresh corn 2 eggs 2 stalks spring onions 2 cloves garlic 1 shallot 3 tbsp. plain flour salt and pepper Instructions: Slice the corn kernels from the cobs Mince garlic, shallot and chop spring onions finely Mix everything together to form a thick batter Heat cooking oil for deep frying Dro

This recipe is a twist to the classic red yeast rice soup that my mum has been making for as long as I can remember. She made it for us when we were growing up, and now she makes it for the grandkids too. It's a simple bowl of comfort food that everyone enjoys. She makes it so frequently for my boys that I just don't want to make it at home too, even though I know they won't complain. We need variety, boys! The boys are still recovering from the bout of cough and cold, and I wanted to make something nutritious and warm for them. The  ginger wine clay pot chicken I made a few days ago was such a hit that I decided to make another clay pot dish today. I used similar ingredients to the usual red rice soup but cooked it in a clay pot. It turned out to be much more fragrant and tastier. The chicken is juicy and tender, it soaks up all the flavours of the red yeast rice and Chinese wine. And look at the gorgeous colour!  😋 Red Yeast Rice Clay Pot Ch