Friday, November 28, 2008

Note!

Hey guys, I've made a new blog for a school assignment! The link is at the side bar. You can find new postings and recipes there too! Cheers!

Posted by The Inflamed at 7:06 PM

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Mini Chicken Burgers!

Posted by The Inflamed at 12:10 AM

Shrimp Appetiser

Shrimp Appetiser

This is also another one of my presentation ideas made of:

3 pieces of prawn cracker

Mustard

Chili Sauce

4 pieces of deep fried shrimp

A pinch of dill

2 pieces of butter lettuce

I would have done better but this was what I happened to have at home at the time =x.

The batter for the shrimp is simply:

1 egg

Flour and water

I never measured the quantity of flour and water. Simply mix them together until they form a smooth batter as thick as pancake batters. Dip the prawns into them and deep fry until golden brown! Serve!

Posted by The Inflamed at 12:05 AM

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Creme Brulee cake

Custard Cake

This is a birthday cake I made for my mother on her birthday haha. I used graham cracker crust

with butter (cheesecake base) as the base of this cake and filled it with the creme brulee custard.

I baked it in a water bath in the oven according to creme brulee recipe. I chilled and unmolded

the cake and topped it with sugared strawberry compote and garnished it with chopped

pistachio. It is a very simple cake. I will not be providing the recipe however =x. I didn't really

think that it is that big a success haha. Too much custard in a mouthful is too much. I would

consider this for smaller cakes =)

Posted by The Inflamed at 11:56 PM

Chicken Skewers

Chicken Skewers

This is another very simple appetiser made based on a tightly controlled budget =x

Ingredients:

400 gm Chicken breast/thigh

2 tbspn Oyster sauce

2 tbspn Soy sauce

2 tbsp Hua Diao Jiu

1 Capsicum of any color

1 scattering of fine salt

Honey (optional)

Dark Sauce (optional for darker colored chicken)

Cooking method:

1) Cut the breast/thigh into bite sized cubes and marinate with the sauces and the wine as well as salt.

2) Cut the capsicum into flat squares roughly the same size as a chicken cube.

3) Skewer the chicken and capsicum alternately through bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for at least an hour. This prevents the skewers from blackening during cooking.

4) Bake the skewers in a convection oven until it is cooked through and the capsicum is slightly blackened at the edges. If you are using honey, brush the honey over the chicken once in a while during cooking, turning it as it cooks. I personally would rather grill or barbeque the skewers but I didn't have the luxury of a flame grill at home.

Note: One flaw with this dish might be that it is too dry, especially if it is chicken breast you are using. Drizzle a little oyster sauce or melted butter or prepare a light tasting sauce of your own preference.

Chicken thighs should be good on their own. The fat content is much higher, making the meat sweeter, juicier, sleek and more tender.

Posted by The Inflamed at 11:36 PM

Egg Mayo Sandwich

Egg Mayo Open-faced sandwich

Hi everyone. This is just a very basic sandwich. I'm only trying out a new presentation idea. =)

Bread base - Sliced french loaf/baguette that is toasted on both sides.

Filling- Egg Mayonnaise

Cooking method:

1) Boil the eggs in simmering water for about 12-15 mins.

2) Remove from water and let them cool in tap water.

3) Peel the shells and use the fine grate of a grater to grate the eggs into little pieces.

4) Add the mayonnaise to your desire, season with salt, pepper and a dash of tabasco sauce.

5) Spoon them onto the bread bases and garnish with chopped spring onion and sliced tomato.

Posted by The Inflamed at 11:23 PM

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Rocket Salad Sandwich

Rocket Salad Sandwich

Rocket or Arugula leaves are Southern European and Mediterranean in origin and have become one of my favourite salad leaves. It goes beautifully with olive oil and sauteed mushrooms and thus I created this sandwich.

It is a very basic sandwich made using:

Half toasted white bread

Olive oil spread

A generous amount of arugula leaves

A fried egg

A slice of breakfast ham

And sliced sauteed shitake mushrooms with parsley

Would have added shaved parmesan cheese if I had some at home =x

(This is a sandwich originally created by Clarence Chue)

Posted by The Inflamed at 10:13 PM

Nasi Lemak Kunning

This is one of my experiements on Asian home cooking plating design =)

Posted by The Inflamed at 10:09 PM

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Coffee Chantilly Cake

Posted by The Inflamed at 3:30 PM

Cherry Trifle

Cherry Trifle

Custard:
720 ml Heavy cream
350 g Instant custard powder
875 ml fresh milk

Glaze:
226 g strawberries
114 g sugar (or to desired taste)
15g lemon juice (or to desired taste)

Filling:
255g vanilla sponge cake, cut into small cubes
500g canned cherries

Preparation method:
1) Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and reserve under refrigeration.

2) Whip the custard powder and milk together for 3 minutes.

3) Combine the custard with just enough whipped cream until it becomes lighter and softer but has to be solid enough to pipe.

4) To prepare the glaze, blend the strawberries until smooth and cooking over a small fire, add the sugar and lemon juice, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Taste.

5) Fill each cup with a few cubes of sponge cake and cherries, dividing the recipe according to the size of cups.

6) Moisten each cake with a little of the canned cherry syrup. One may choose to add a little of the syrup to the strawberry glaze.

7) Using a piping bag, pipe a serving of the custard cream into each cup, again depending on the size of the cups prepared.

8) Flatten the layer of custard and glaze it with the strawberry sauce. Chill until it is ready to serve. Garnish with strawberries or cherries if desired.

Posted by The Inflamed at 3:29 PM

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Creaming ingredients:
250 g butter
144 g sugar

Wet ingredients:
1½ egg
3 g vanilla essence

Dry ingredients:
3 g salt
430 g cake flour
5 g baking powder
5 g baking soda

Filling:
263 g chocolate chip
95g chopped walnut

1. Weigh out the ingredients according to their categories. Dry ingredients together, wet together and so on.

2. Place the creaming ingredients together in a mixing bowl and whip with a whip attachment on low speed until just combined.

3. Add the wet ingredients and whip until just combined.

4. Add the dry ingredients until just combined.

5. Add the filling and mix thoroughly until the entire cookie dough is one solid mass, yet moldable. The ingredients should be well mixed and evenly spread throughout.

6. Roll each cookie into a 5g-10g weight ball and flatten gently on a parchment lined sheet pan.

7. Bake at 180 degrees until the cookies are cooked through and browned. It should take about 10-15 minutes.

Caution* Do not over-whip the ingredients or the cookie will not bake well.

Posted by The Inflamed at 3:28 PM

Banana Crumble

Banana Crumble

Caramelized bananas:
1 bunch ripe bananas
227 g Sugar

Crumble:
100 g butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
146 g sugar
116 g cake flour
116 g ground almonds
1 pinch cinnamon powder

Preparation method:

1) Prepare aluminum cups for baking.

2) To prepare the caramel, add a little sugar to a pan and let it melt in a medium-hot pan. Continue adding the sugar, allowing each portion to fully melt before adding the next. Continue until all the sugar has been added and the caramel has reached its desired colour.

3) Add the bananas, coating it with the caramel until it has nicely browned and coated.

4) To prepare the crumble, mix together all the ingredients except the butter in a mixing bowl.

5) Add the butter one piece at a time, rubbing it together with the flour until it resembles course grains of sand. Continue adding until all the butter has been added.

6) Lay half of the aluminum cup with the bananas and top with the crumble until it is filled.

7) Bake in the oven at 180 degrees until the tops have turned brown and the crumble is cooked through.

8) Remove from the oven and dust with snow powder.

9) The crumble may be served warm or chilled.

Variations: Blueberry crumble and apple crumble. Try other fruits!

Posted by The Inflamed at 3:25 PM

Tang Yuan (Plain)

Tang Yuan (Plain)

Balls:
120 g glutinous rice flour
100g water
2 drops of Food colouring

Sugar syrup:
400ml water
1 pandan leaf
Sugar (to taste)

Other important preparations:
Pot of boiling water for cooking tang yuan
Cool water for rinsing cooked tang yuan
Wet cloths for tang yuan preparation

Cooking method:
1) Prepare the sugar syrup one night before by boiling the water and pandan leaf together, adding the sugar to desired sweetness.

2) Mix the flour and water together until it forms a mouldable paste resembling clay.

3) Add the desired food coloring and mix well.

4) Divide the paste into smaller pieces and roll each one into a small ball.

5) Place each rolled ball onto a plate covered with a wet cloth to prevent sticking.

6) Bring a pot of water to boil and have the Tang Yuan boil in the water until it floats on the surface.

7) Scoop out the floating balls and place them in a small bowl of cool water to rinse.

8) Place them in the prepared sugar syrup. Serve.

9) Repeat this process for different coloured Tang Yuan, always cooking the lighter colors before the darker ones.


Note*: Tang Yuan dough hardens when exposed to air for long periods of time. Be sure to cover the dough with a wet cloth if not using.

Posted by The Inflamed at 3:05 PM

Home made Siew Mai

Seasoning:
1 tsp Hua diao jiu
2 tbsp light soya sauce
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp sesame oil
2 tsp corn flour
1 egg
½ tsp white pepper

Filling:
285g minced pork
225g prawns, shelled and cut

Wrap:
115g square wanton skins

Cooking method:

1) Mix the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl.

2) Mix the filling ingredients together.

3) Add the seasoning and filling together, using a gloved hand to mix and mash the filling until it is evenly mixed and seasoned. The filling should resemble a meat paste.

4) Cut off the four corners of the wanton skin.

5) Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each skin and enclose the dumpling such that the filling is still visible from the top.

6) Brush the plate with a little oil and place the dumplings on the plate, flattening the base of each siew mai. Steam until the siew mai is cooked through.

7) Serve immediately with some chilli sauce.

Posted by The Inflamed at 3:01 PM

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Mushroom Crepe

Crepe Ingredients (Makes 40 crepes)

9 eggs

63 honey

63 g sugar

100 g butter, melted

300 g cake flour

750 g milk


Sauteed mushrooms ingredients

For 1 crepe, 4 shitake mushrooms, cut into 1/4

Oil or butter as needed

A scattering of parsley

2 g garlic

Heavy cream as needed

Salt and pepper as needed

Cooking Method:

1) Heat a little oil or butter in a frying pan or saute pan and add the garlic, cooking until the aroma is apparent.

2) Add the mushrooms and stir-fry until it is soft.

3) Add the parsley and cream to desired texture. For a wetter mushroom mix, moisten with more cream. For a dryer mix, add just enough to coat the mushrooms.

4) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the pan and set aside.

5) Mix all crepe ingredients everything together with a whisk.

6) Heat a small, round, non-stick pan and ladle a little of the mixture into the pan and swirl it around to create a thin-pancake.

7) When the edges begin to brown, use a skewer or a small pair of tongs to lift up one side and then flip it over entirely.

8) Cook until both sides have turned an omelet-brown color.

9) Lay each one out, spoon a thin layer of mushroom onto the crepe. Roll up and serve.

Posted by The Inflamed at 10:45 PM

Poached Warm Berries

Poached Berries

This is a simple accompaniment to desserts. It creates a visual impact and gives variety of colour. Creatively used, it may be used to top warm cakes, eaten on its own, cooked and flamed with fruit liqueur or used to fill pies and crepes. It can be served with ice cream, whipped cream, nuts and other fruits.

Ingredients:

20 g butter

100 g Strawberries, washed and cut into quarters

100 g Blueberries

100 g Raspberries

100 ml hot water

100 g sugar

Cooking method:

1) Prepare the sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar into the hot water.

2) Melt the butter in a non-stick pan and heat it.

3) Add the blueberries and strawberries and coat them with the butter. Add the sugar syrup, just enough to lightly poach the berries.

4) After half a minute, add the raspberries and let the berries poach until the sugar syrup has reduced to a thick, saucy consistency.

5) Remove the berries to a plate and serve warm.

Posted by The Inflamed at 10:35 PM

Banana Cream Baked Rice

Banana Cream Baked Rice (original idea by Casandra Chai)

Cream sauce ingredients (makes 190 ml cream sauce)

15 g butter or oil

220 milk (prepare more for standby)

10g all purpose flour

25 g heavy cream
Salt as needed

Cooking method:

1) Heat the butter in a sauce pan. Add the flour and cook until a paste (roux) begins to form. Take care not to let the roux brown. If the paste doesn't form because of lack of flour or oil, add a little more.

2) Once the paste has formed, add the milk and whisk well. Keep on whisking until the milk comes to a boil. The sauce should thicken at this point.

3) Let the sauce simmer (small bubbles) until the sauce cooks smooth. Test the consistency of the sauce by dipping a spoon into it. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

4) If the sauce is too thick, thin it with more milk.

5) Add the cream into the sauce and stir. It is ready for use.

Ingredients for Banana baked rice

100 g cooked white rice
40 g sliced ripe bananas
Grated mozarella cheese as needed
Cream sauce as needed (recipe above or buy Prego)

Salt or sugar to taste

Cooking method:

1) Cook the rice and cream together in a small pan until the rice is evenly coated with the cream. Season with salt and taste. For a sweet rice dish, add no salt but add a little sugar.

2) Place the rice in a small pan, ramekin or bowl. Press the sliced bananas into the rice. Add as many as you desire.

3) Top the rice with the grated cheese, ensuring that no rice is exposed and bake in an oven until the cheese turns brown. Serve warm.

Note* If the rice dish is very deep, one may wish to add layers of cheese inside the rice as well as the top.

Posted by The Inflamed at 9:48 PM

Cold Carrot Soup

Cold Carrot Soup

Ingredients

160 g carrots, peeled

250 g vegetable/chicken stock

1 g garlic

9 g sliced onions

1/2 shallot

Oil as needed

6 ml white wine

20 g yoghurt

75 ml carrot juice

75 ml orange juice

Cooking method

1) Slice the carrots as thin as possible in any way, shape and size, discarding the head and tail of the carrot.

2) Add a table spoon of oil (or more) to a soup pot and begin to saute the onions, garlic and shallots together until an aroma is evident.

3) Add the thinly sliced carrots and saute them until they have become slightly soft.

4) Add the stock, wine and orange juice and bring the soup to a boil.

5) Reduce the soup to a simmer and place a lid over the pot and let the carrots simmer until a fork is able to pierce them without resistance.

6) Use a blender to blend the soup mixture into a course orange carrot paste.

7) Pour the orange paste into a bowl and add the yoghurt. Add enough carrot juice to thin the paste until it reaches the texture and consistency of a soup. For a thicker soup, add less juice and for a more watery soup, add more juice.

8) Chill overnight or until it is thoroughly chilled and serve.

Posted by The Inflamed at 5:22 PM

Tomato Baked Rice

Tomato baked rice

Ingredients

100 g cooked white rice

5 g sliced white onions

20 g minced pork

20 g sliced shitake mushrooms

Grated mozarella cheese as needed

Prego tomato sauce as needed

Cooking method

1) Saute the onions in a small non-stick pan until the onions have emitted an aroma.

2) Add the mushrooms and minced pork and saute until the mushrooms are soft and the pork has turned brown.

3) Add the rice and mix thorougly. Add enough tomato sauce to just coat the rice.

4) Season with salt and pepper and taste.

5) Place the rice mixture into a small baking dish, porcelain bowl, cake pan or ramekin and cover the top of the rice mixture with grated cheese. Ensure that all the rice is covered to prevent burning.

6) Place it in a convection oven or salamander until the cheese has melted and turned brown. Serve immediately.

Posted by The Inflamed at 5:14 PM

Mango Granite

Recipe for Mango Granite

This is a dessert resembling crushed ice. It can be made with any form of flavoured liquid. Try different ones for different effects and tastes! This can be made at home at ANY time with almost any form of liquid!

Some liquids to consider:

Fruit juice

Syrups

Cordials

Fruit puree

Commercial drinks

Fruit Teas/ Green Tea

Mango Granite Ingredients

113 g mango sweetened mango puree

330 g water

50 g sugar

25 g rum

Cooking method:

1) Mix everything together with a whisk in a shallow pan with a wide surface area, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

2) Place in the freezer and stir the mixture every 15 - 30 mins until the mixture resembles crushed ice.

3) Enjoy =)

Posted by The Inflamed at 5:08 PM

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Pasta Carbonara

500 g spaghetti

25 g butter or oil

140 g minced bacon

4 egg yolks

180 ml cream

50g grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper as needed

Cooking method:

1) Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the spaghetti and cook al dente (with some resistance to the tooth). The spaghetti should be stirred occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

2) Drain the spaghetti in a colander. If the spaghetti is to be reserved for later use, rinse with cold water and rub some oil in between the strands to prevent sticking and refridgerate until it is ready to serve.

3) Heat the butter or oil in the pan and saute the bacon until it is cooked through and slightly crispy and the fat has been rendered.

4) Add the spaghetti to the bacon and mix well, cooking until the spaghetti is very hot.

5) Mix together the yolks, cream and cheese and add it to the pasta.

6) Mix the pasta with the sauce, stirring until the sauce is heated. Do not overcook or the sauce will curdle due to the presence of egg yolks.

7) Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately. One may choose to garnish with some parsley.

Posted by The Inflamed at 9:12 AM

Potato, Crab and Leek Croquette

1 Russet Potato
100g Leek
227g Crab meat (frozen or fresh)
200g Bread crumbs
50ml milk
10g softened butter
Vegetable oil as needed

Cooking method:

1) Steam the potatoes until the fork is able to pierce the potato without any resistance.

2) Add the butter and slowly add the milk in parts and mash the potato with a masher. Take care not to make the potato too wet. Not all the milk has to be used.

3) Dice the leek medium and add it to the potatoes, mixing well.

4) Add the crabmeat and continue to mix until the entire mixture is evenly blended.

5) Pat the mixture into small patties.

6) Place the bread crumbs onto a large flat plate and coat each patty with the crumbs first on one side, pressing down gently and then flipping it over with a fork.

7) Pour the vegetable oil until it covers the base of the pan and rises to roughly half the height of the croquette patties.

8) When the oil is hot, quickly pan-fry the patties until the bread crumbs turn a golden brown.

9) Place the ready-fried croquettes onto some paper towel to absorb the oil for roughly 5 mins.

10) Remove to a clean plate and serve warm.

Posted by The Inflamed at 8:56 AM

Mushroom Bruschetta

Mushroom Bruschetta (makes 30 pieces)

454g Oyster Mushrooms
105 ml Olive oil
5g Minced garlic
1g Chopped thyme
1g Chopped oregano
1 no.s Baguette
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese as needed (optional)

1) Cut the baguette into 6mm thick slices and brush with some oil and toast in an oven until lightly golden along the edges.

2) Trim the mushrooms.

3) Heat the oil over low heat and sauté the mushrooms until lightly browned. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.

4) Add the thyme and oregano herbs and remove from the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5) Spread the mushrooms over the sliced toasted bread. The mushroom bruschetta may be served now or topped with grated cheese and melted in an oven before serving.

Note*: Any kind of mushroom may be used. Mixed mushrooms consisting of button, swiss, shitake, oyster, enoki and shimeiji mushrooms cooked together with the above aromatics and herbs makes a great mushroom salad with the addition of salad leaves and vegetables (arugula/rocket, lettuce, baby spinach, asparagus). All products may be found at NTUC.

Posted by The Inflamed at 12:29 AM

Duxelle Canape

30 no.s Carr's Table Water Crackers
50g Minced shallots
30g Butter
240g Diced shitake mushrooms
60ml Cream
110g Bread crumbs
4g Chopped parsley
1 no.s Egg
1/2 no.s. Carrot, small dice and blanched for garnish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

1) In a small pan, heat the butter and add the shallots until an aroma is present.

2) Add the mushrooms and sauté them until dry to create a duxelles. Season the duxelles with some salt and pepper to taste.

3) Add the cream, bread crumbs and parsley and mix well. Remove the mixture from the pan.
Break the egg into a bowl and whip until evenly blended.

4) Add the egg, a little at a time to the duxelles mixture until the egg has just coated the mixture.

5) Fill small portions of the mix into a 4-cm ring cutter and press down gently with a small spoon. Gently lift up the ring and release the small duxelles cakes.

6) Place them onto an aluminum foil sheet, onto a sheet pan and bake the cakes in an oven at 180 degrees until the tops and sides of the cakes have begun to brown and oil seeps out from the sides.

7) Place each ready baked cake onto a cracker base and serve.

Note*: The duxelles above (without the egg) is a stuffing used for chicken.

Posted by The Inflamed at 12:25 AM

Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich

454g Chicken thigh
360ml Mayonnaise
14g Curry powder
1 head Butter or Iceberg lettuce
113g Butter
1 no.s Baguette
1 no.s Small diced green capsicum (optional)
Salt and pepper as needed

Cooking Method:

1) Steam the chicken to an internal temperature of 74 degrees or until it is thoroughly cooked.
Shred or dice the chicken into small pieces.

2) Combine the chicken, mayonnaise and curry powder and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3) Tear the lettuce leaves to match the size of the bread.

4) Spread a thin layer of butter on the bread, top with a piece of lettuce and a layer of curry chicken salad.

5) Garnish with the capsicum if desired, for colour and flavour. Serve immediately.

Note*: To create a salad, shredded iceberg lettuce, fresh cherry tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, carrot strips and other vegetables may be tossed together with the curried chicken. Add small cubes of toasted bread croutons for texture.

Posted by The Inflamed at 12:15 AM

Monday, September 01, 2008

White and Dark Chocolate Cake

Posted by The Inflamed at 11:47 PM

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Pan fried Sutchi fish with Wasabi Aioli

Posted by The Inflamed at 12:36 AM

Qiaofen's Coffee Cake

Posted by The Inflamed at 12:33 AM

Monday, August 25, 2008

Rice Pilaf

Doesn't look special? But the taste sure is though. =)

Ingredients:

1) 400g long grain white rice (for singaporeans, we call this normal rice)

2) 30ml butter or oil

3) 21g minced onions (or more for onion lovers)

4) 720ml to 840ml chicken stock, hot (for those who prefer dryer rice, less stock. I usually take

the middle which is about 770ml of stock)

5) 1 bay leaf and a scattering of thyme leaves (herbs found in NTUC. Look under the McCormick brand of herbs and spices!)

6) Salt and pepper as needed

Cooking method:

1) Wash the rice.

2) Use the pot of a rice cooker as the cooking pot. Place it on the stove and heat the butter. Add

the onions and saute until the flavour and aroma is present.

3) Add the uncooked washed rice and saute until the rice is coated with the butter or oil about 2-3 mins.

4) Add the hot or warm chicken stock to the rice, stirring to prevent the rice from sticking to each other.

5) Add the herbs and place the pot back into the rice cooker and let it cook until it reaches a stage where the grains are tender to the bite. (For singaporeans and asians, just have to taste it and you know when you have the right texture.)

6) However, use a chopstick to fluff the rice first and allow steam to escape and let the rice cooker hold the rice under heat for some time to allow drying. 5-10 mins after the rice has been fluffed, it is ready to be served.

Posted by The Inflamed at 2:53 PM

Glazed Carrots

1) Peel and cut the carrots into equal sizes. The best way to cut them is by performing an oblique cut as shown above. However, you may cut them into batons, medallions or which ever way you prefer.

2) Melt the butter in a large pan or a wok and add the carrots. Saute the carrots in the butter until all carrots have been coated for about 2-3 mins. For butter lovers, add more butter!

3) Add the sugar and stir the carrots until evenly mixed. Add the stock.

4) Bring the entire mixture to a simmer (small, gentle but vigorous bubbling) until the carrot becomes fork tender. Taste for a tenderness check.

5) By the time the carrots are tender, the liquid should have been reduced (water content evaporated) to form a glaze coating of butter and sugar. The carrots should be shiny and tender.

6) Adjust with salt and pepper and serve.

Note* One may add some herbs or spices to create color and flavour. I added chopped parsley above. Black pepper specks also create nice visual impact and adds nicely to flavour.

Note* You may combine this with other vegetables. Buttered corn? Fresh tomato slices or cherry tomatoes? Shredded cabbage? Or some rice? Let your imagination run wild ok =)

Posted by The Inflamed at 2:33 PM

German potato salad

Dressing ingredients:

1) 60g diced streaky bacon

2) 400 ml chicken stock (for home cooking, use chicken stock powder and mix with hot water)

3) 30ml white wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar. I believe balsamic and rice wine vinegar works as well)

4) 113g diced onions

5) Salt to taste

6) Sugar to taste

7) Ground white pepper as needed

8) 60 ml vegetable oil

9) 28g brown mustard (other kinds of mustard works for me too)

10) 1/2 bunch chives (may substitute with spring onion)

Cooking method:

1) Peel the potatoes and cut them evenly into smaller pieces. The size of the potatoes vary according to how large you want them to be. They should however, be roughly the same size for even cooking.

2) Steam the potatoes until fork-tender. (No resistance at all if a fork is used to poke it. One may also eat 1 piece of the steamed potato to test for tenderness)

3) Saute the bacon in a saute pan until it is cooked throughly and slightly crispy.

4) Bring the stock, onions, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper to a boil. (Warning: The smell of the dressing at this point may not be very pleasant due to the vinegar. One may choose to omit the vinegar. But then what would be special about the salad?)

5) Combine the oil, bacon fat, bacon, steamed potatoes, chives and the boiled dressing together. Toss gently with spoons. Do not break the potatoes by tossing with forks and sharp objects.

6) Cover the salad (traps the flavour) and leave it in the chiller overnight or until it is chilled thoroughly.

7) Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to the chilled salad. One may also wish to strain away some of the dressing if it is too much. Serve.

Posted by The Inflamed at 2:02 PM

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Introduction to Food blog

Hi guys! Its me haha.

Yes, I have decided to note down my work and record them for two purposes:

1) Learning purposes, so that I may evaluate my performance over the years

2) To be able to share recipes, personal notes and recommendations to all who want to learn and receive.

As the bible says, just as you have received, you must also give.

And trying to bring God and food together, I came across this:

Acts 27:33-38 states

Posted by The Inflamed at 1:36 AM

Posted by The Inflamed at 12:30 AM

Shrimp Salad

Posted by The Inflamed at 12:05 AM

Wine poached Chicken Breast with whipped potato and marinated bell pepper

Posted by The Inflamed at 12:03 AM

Friday, August 15, 2008

Bread and Butter Pudding, Green Tea Granita

Posted by The Inflamed at 11:54 PM

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Transition

Hello everyone! I know I've not blogged in a long long time. I'm been very weighed down and weary of late...haha...together with a increasingly increased appetite for good and bad food =P Why do I say bad food? Lols...when I'm hungry for something to munch, haix...anything goes man LOL...

I've been eating too much rich food from the leftover sales of the Sugarloaf cafe at school haha. I must remember to eat more sandwiches and less pastries tomorrow =P or I will easily regain the weight I lost last year! That will be very sad...coz I'm actually quite proud of that weight lost haha =P

You know, I realise that when we try to do so many things and all of them at once, its really hard. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why for the past few days I am often confused and lost because I feel a need to pray for many things at the same time. So many things need my attention, which in turn I feel, needs God's attention...hahaha so everyday I have a very tiring shopping list...and this actually doesn't make prayer any fun. But I was taught to ask consistently for things in prayer and they will come to pass. So how?

Haha...I'm tired and I feel that challenges and new things keep piling on me one after another lols. After Cliff's message about God doing something new in your life, I feel that my life is really rushing through one thing after another. Life's kind of hectic now haha and I feel a need to stop and get a good grip of situations and the environment as well as examine my mental health and exhaustion haha.

But I don't think I'm allowed to stop =(

I don't like new things actually haha. I prefer to stay in my comfort zone. But with the Student Internship Programme up and running, me having to take up different posts at the cafe and restaurant, the changing of the cell group, me entering into a new ministry (Choir hehe) and my grandfather suddenly on talking terms with my family again, and Christmas is coming! Whoa...that is a lot of things...that changes. I feel like I really have to be a good chameleon to adapt so quickly to all these new things.

But in the process of so much transition, I tend to feel tired and really lost. haha.

I am now serving at the sugarloaf cafe at school!! Haha service is really fun but I prefer being in the kitchen =) I am now quite certain that I wish to be a pastry chef haha even though pastries can be a little too sweet sometimes...but I think I have fallen in love with the job scope there. Hot cooking shall be my hobby =)

But to a certain extent I'm not sure...haha...may the Lord bless my choice =P I tend to enjoy every kitchen that I go to, may it be hot or cold or pastry. There is lots to learn everywhere! Wow...I often tell people that I don't have enough years in this lifetime to learn it all haha. I shall go heaven and learn from all the chefs for all eternity haha...make heaven a sanctuary of food! LOL.

I'm looking forward to my attachment though the companies open to us are coming in very slowly -_- sian. God help me get to Ritz Carlton kk? Hahahahaha.

Anyway its late, I got to go. I'm bartender tomorrow!! LOL...I was silently wishing for it today in my heart and it seems like God heard that silent wish =P If only He would be more auto and instant for other things =P then I wouldnt be so stress hahahahaha.

Bye people! And er love you whoever you are that is reading this. Haaahha.
And love you too, Lord =)

Posted by The Inflamed at 10:46 PM

Sunday, November 18, 2007

The battle of Minas Tirith.

Lord of the Rings people? Haha if you have not watched it, you will not understand what I am about to write.

I loved the last battle at Minas Tirith, the charge of the Rohirrim, knights on horseback. I remember tearing at the scene. Why?

The city of Minas Tirith, a beacon of splendour, a crown of men's glory, the Tower of the Sun, has been overwhelmed and surrounded by the orcish legions of the Dark Lord Sauron. The clouds over the battlefield are dim and heavy, thick with smoky wrath. The cries of the orcs carry for miles and fire, fire sprang in many places of the city. An evil power was at work and the Dark captains, the Nazgul, instilled fear in the hearts of many.

Just before the last stroke fell, a light broke in the darkness and from the west came the majestic horns of the Rohirrim, sounding across the dark and evil meadow of many shadows. There appeared at the top of the plains, the Rohirrim, led by King Theoden and the House of Eorl. The banners of green flapped in the wind as they assembled against their foes, outnumbered ten to one. The orcs snarled and formed battled ranks against them from afar off, at the very foot of the besieged city.

Then arose King Theoden, his voice crying out clearer and louder than any man's, saying

"Arise! Arise riders of Theoden!
Fell deeds awake, Fire and slaughter
Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered
A sword day, a red day, ere the sun rises!
Ride now! Ride to ruin and the world's ending!"

And with a cry, "Forth Eorlingas!",

Theoden sped down the plains, his white horse Snowmane faster than any other. The army gave a resounding roar and charged headlong after their King. Glory and power was with them. The golden hair of the man shone in the sun and their countenance bore no trace of fear, only courage and great determintion. They did not waver and stumble even as arrows of the orcs thudded into their midst and felled several riders.

On they went, like the fury of a great storm. The thundering hooves and warcry of the men struck fear even into the hearts of evil and the swords gleamed as they were raised. The eyes of men shone with their wrath and beauty. And the final clash of the armies was very great, even as the Rohirrim ran down the orcish legions that day on the Pelennor Fields.

The Rohirrim is likened to the army of God yes. And there shall we be in all our days, meeting the armies of evil without fear, without doubt, striking fear with the presence of God, bringing His light into the darkness.

His hand is with His army. Amen =)

Posted by The Inflamed at 9:12 PM

Monday, October 22, 2007

My Lord God

I stand in awe...in wonder of You and Your Majesty...

Ancient and Glorious, Light of the world, and You live in me...

Lord of my life, I love You...

Lord of my days, I trust in You...

Living beneath the shelter of Your wings...

My heart's safe, yes my soul, body and spirit...

Praise be the Lord's for He has helped me in my time of trouble
Made promises that lasts longer than the crust of the Earth

His breath washes clean and clear over us...
And in our greatest moments of loneliness...
When no one else is there to be with us...
When it seems that all our friends have abandoned us...
And the world around me seems to have crumbled into pieces...
When all seems lost and hope not found...
When my enemies encamp all around...

The Lord is there, ever watchful, always present...
His love like a blanket, His voice like sweet music
His eyes like bright blue flaring stones
His touch, melting the hardest hearts of coldest stone
And there He watches over me, wreathed in the glory of His light
And though the darkness seems to shroud me
He was greater than the sun to me

Thank You, Father. Be the strength in my heart. Be by my side always...=)

Posted by The Inflamed at 10:03 AM

Saturday, October 20, 2007

But I will trust in God

A little "poem" that I wrote during my quiet time entitled:

But I will trust in God

Lord, tonight was the worst
I even prayed the day before
That You would give me strength
To endure what I believe I cannot

When my emotions struck me
They cast a net of anguish upon my heart
Anger and bitterness took me
And I made silent promises, filled with folly and sin

But while the devil tormented me,
I remembered You, Lord
In my pain and weaknesses
I called for Your strength, in the silence of my heart

I didn't feel all lovey dovey
Nor did I feel very spiritual
Your help was not instant
Yet further I believed and endured

Lord, You are good, Your promises true
For I felt strength rise in my heart
My anger brushed away by peace
And my heart sighed rejoicing

You, Lord break my chains of hatred
Taught me how to love when I could not
You drew me out of the raging fire
Set in me in a rocking chair of light

Yes, You, Lord is He whom I dearly love
For in my stress You comfort me greatly
Saying, "Rest in My love"
And "Cast all of your cares upon Me".

Lord, You are He who opens doors
And who can close them?
In every trial I have passed,
I saw Your goodness and gave thanks

I would brave the fires at Your word
And become a strong son for Your sake
Then to live a happy, heck-care life
And become a weak morsel of disgrace

O Lord, hear me as I pray
Help O God with Your wisdom
Guide me in all my ways
Holy Spirit, light my paths

Though the waters may fall heavy
And the hand of fear is great
Yet King David loved to say,
"But I will trust in God".

You will not fail me
Nor will You forsake me
You have given me strength
To last the rest of my days

Though I worry of the coming months
May Your mercy fall upon me
Bring to remembrance Your love for me
Teach me to enter the gates of Your rest

May I, Lord, live out my days smiling
Praising and thanking You always
Though I fear the coming months
But I will trust in God =)

-Clarence to his God

Posted by The Inflamed at 2:40 AM

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Its a thursday!

Hi good afternoon.

Today happens to be my off day! =)

I'm happy but not so happy...I'm tired. There hasn't been a day where I managed to remain in the grounds of Simei for the entire day...for a long time now. I just can't remember when I last remained home all day.

Makeup cell group after this. Not that I hate cell group. But a large part of me wants to stay home, be with my family and watch television, lie in bed and daydream about the wonderful things in life...or to me, they are wonderful. I want to find a day when I can cook and bake all the things that I've been thinking of cooking and baking. Time is short man, and though the money's good...I will have no life if I do this for a full time job.

Thank God for a 2 month vacation. Perfect. Not too short that I still want to work more and not too long that I become too tired of working.

3 more weeks until the end of October. Looking forward to that actually. I'm tired already hahaha. I've been waiting the whole day for bleach 143 subbed to come out on youtube.

One day in the life of Raffles Hotel. Work is great, not too slack, not too busy, people are nice, I'm not stressed...just that the hours are long. *yawn*

Its a weird feeling at RH...I feel nice and comfortable working there, it somehow feels like home...feels like I belong there. I'm not afraid of the people, not afraid to do my job, I don't have to wait for instructions...I actually feel like I'm part of the staff and not just a regular helpout. This is something I have never experienced in anywhere that I have worked for.

Working life is a new experience...and I like it. Seriously I would not go back to studying science and maths all over again. When I see my sis mugging for her sec 3 promotion exam, I thought, "Whew! Glad thats over." I'm tired, but I like where I am.

The only thing I'm willing to study now is food. Business and management? Oh alright...just don't make the concept too cheem and complex. Communication skills are after all more interesting than beta particles.

Looking forward to my wine class next semester. I'm really curious. How? Why? Do people appreciate wine? There are some sweet wines I personally enjoy, but...lets face it. Sweet stuff is for the kids and the kind old grannies with the toothie smiles. It doesn't take much to appreciate sweet stuff...its like a soft drink right? Just with a bit of a spicy tinge and a kick.

I want to see what the wine world is talking about. The serious stuff. The bitter and the spicy and the strong. May my tongue grow to greater maturity. =)

Sometimes there are some tastes we simply just have to acquire. Otherwise we'll be in the same box of food forever, never knowing why and how...people like certain food and drink that in our mind we term "disgusting".

Its great to try new things ;) especially in the kitchen.

Yesterday I had my first experience working with live lobsters. Big and grey and moving. With my hands. Now it was a shocker cause I had no idea they were allowed to move I mean...all the meat and poultry and fish I've been handling up til now is dead right? And getting a part-timer to handle something which looks so complex seems wrong.

They were like giant cockroaches man. Only prettier. And their claws were tied.

I was afraid of them but I was afraid of the French chef more. Haha...it was the first time I ever worked with him but this guy is a guy who KNOWS food and KNOWS how to handle them and he commands respect man. No other chef I worked with ever demanded me to greet them. But this guy did. Like I was in school again. Felt great by the way.

I just dove my gloved hands into the bag and pulled them out. Oooh. Fortunately the method of killing was simply water-boil and I was guided. I felt a lot safer and more relaxed when the chef was on hand to teach me how to handle them. When I was alone with the bag, man, my first time and he left me alone!

Sometimes when we eat the beef and the chicken and we are so happy that it tastes so good, we just forget the people who slaughtered them for us eh. A bag of chicken wings required the sacrifice of at least 10 chickens. Ouch. For the chickens. And also for the guy who kills them. Can't be easy having a job as an animal slayer.

But new experiences are fun and good. Hahaha.

So next time you eat seafood...especially lobsters, you must remember who were those responsible for making you happy and thank them! Haha..joking. But I think its cool to work in a butchery.

Okok...I have to rest before the mcg begins. *sighs*

Good day to all!

Posted by The Inflamed at 4:32 PM

Thursday, September 27, 2007

True Love, anyone??

Hey guys...I know...its been a long time since I last blogged.

To put it bluntly, I usually cannot find anything really worth blogging about...everyday the same old things, the getting up and the lying down, the coming in and the going out, the laughing and the crying, the sun and rain, tree and grass...etc.

If I were to blog, its probably because

A) I'm bored
B) Its fun
C) I have something to say

Today, I and some of the guys spent a little time talking about love. As I am writing, I do feel a little tired...

What is true love? After thinking about this for a long time (1.5 years), I have decided that true love cannot be explained. =)

If you want to ask what love is about, people can talk about it until their words fill a book that is as thick as the bible and still it wouldn't give you any clear cut and direct answers.

Sometimes, when we have experienced true love, we will automatically know that it is it. For teenagers like myself, no matter how hard we think we know true love, it always slips away from us. We go after it, we pursue it, we work to get it...become tired, exhausted and weary over it and realise that we do not understand it.

Many times, the church sets a certain guidelines for behaviour between a guy and and girl. But love and relationships, being undefined, will not adhere to just one couple. The glory of the Lord's hand in creating relationships between people is that no two couple can ever be the same. Similar perhaps but never the same and each will always have their own story to tell.

Sit back, relax and stop worrying about true love, allowing it to come after you, rather than trying to take it yourself. Love is one thing you can't buy nor is it something you work for to get. Its not like a job where I can work to get a promotion.

I can't be sure that if I

1) Call the girl
2) Buy her presents
3) Go out with her
4) Sms her daily
5) Be extra caring
6) Be very sweet to her
7) Make personal sacrifices...

And then BOOM. She's mine. In fact the term "She's mine" is already wrong.

It is unfortunately human tendency to think about who you are going to have as a partner and "wanting" this person or "wanting" that person.

For me, I believe that love is more about...not "I want her" but rather, "I want to fulfill her wants". Its very similar to our walk with God. Self denial.

Self denial is clearly expressed as God's defination of love, which is the closest explaination I can find for true love 1 Cor 13:4-8:

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

And...I realise that it no longer matters whether or not the girl or guy wants you back. You just want her or him to be happy =)

May I also strike a balance? =)

Recognising that I am NOT the all knowing wizard in the universe, having no right to pass judgement but I do wish to express my dislike for people who attain noble love.

Please O please don't ever be a saint or martyr in love and let me know about it because I WILL slap you. (I'm joking =) Thou shalt not raise thy hand against thy brother.)

I am referring to people who are infatuated but instead insist on believing that they have attained true love. You will recognise these people easily.

These people will tend to be very miserable on the outside, look miserable and go around saying, "Oh...*sniff*...I'm so glad that she's happy...*sniff*...since I can't give her the happiness, *SNIFF*, I'm glad someone else can and I wish them all the best."

And inside the person's mind and body, it will be like:

"O Lord! What a sacrifice your servant has made this day! But I do this for her and for You and see how my heart breaks!! O, I am so noble! I can't believe that I can be so noble! But I must be strong for the girl that I love! She is happy...but oh woe is me! Woe is ME!!"

or...

"I did so much for you, you know how I cry every night because of you? Do you know that I am suffering so much for your sake? I really love you so much...but if you don't want to be with me, I understand, I know I am not worthy. I know that there are better guys for you out there. Don't worry about me. If I can't give you happiness, then someone else will. Don't bother to contact me anymore. It hurts so much to leave you...ohh I feel like fainting already... But nevermind...its ok...enjoy yourself ok? smile =)...bye..."


Be a good man and a good woman! Noble acts are public. Acts of true love are done in secret. If you sacrifice for someone you really love, do it with a good attitude man! Don't sacrifice and show everyone how miserable you are...sigh...

Why I say this? I used to be like that...maybe I still am? But then I realised that true love does not exist there. When you make any kind of sacrifice for someone you really love, you'll be happy in a sincere genuine way.

I'm not talking about a dog's love. We are people. Not dogs. We are not supposed to have sheer joy simply serving a person like slaves. Its hard to explain...but when the time comes, you'll know =)

True love doesn't have to be returned =) God never expected us to love Him back when He gave us love. He only wanted us to be happy.

People say, "Wow, if thats true, then let us drink, sleep around, cheat and tell lies! It makes us happy! Its such a pain to keep the rules!"

No they don't make you happy. If loving God makes you unhappy, then don't love Him. You are not and have never been forced to.

We all think that we know what will make us happy.

But only God knows what will give us true and eternal happiness.

ARGH! This entry is too long. I'm sorry, I'm flipping out writing this.

I realise that what I wrote above is true. Thoughts of love can fill 10000 books and it wouldn't be enough.

I'm ending here. Bye! =)

Posted by The Inflamed at 10:25 PM

Friday, August 10, 2007

God

Friends, the love of God is a very real and tangible presence. =) To those who have known and understood, you have been mightily blessed.

But for those who don't understand, I just want to say that Love between God and man is really not just an old saying, even though people have used "God loves you" in vain for decades now...

Its real...and its hard to explain how real........

During my Quiet time with the Lord....I wrote..

Lord, how I love You
Lord, how I adore You

Your touch is fresh from the heavens
Your breath is with the winds

I look upon You, Lord and yet You seem far away
Clothed with light and glory, upon a mighty throne
Your eyes O Lord blaze with power and beauty
Your hair shines bright and golden like the sun
No darkness is before You
Your smile brings warmth and comfort to my heart

Touch me from heaven and set me near to Your heart
I am Yours, Lord, even though I am not perfect
O God my weaknesses and hurts they have multiplied
Each is like a spear in my heart and soul
My tears have collected in jars...and You held each one in Your hands

You love me, Lord, with love greater than that of men
You have shielded me in every possible way
Helped me to stand again, and Your grace has been heavy upon me

Lord, do You truly accept me for who I am?
How can You love someone like me?
But You have, Lord and my soul rejoices in Your goodness

Lord, how can I ever understand Your love?
I often wonder how You look at me
I love Your presence Lord, more than any other thing
I love to seek after You and stay with You in a quiet place
Yet Lord, sometimes I seek You but find You not

Do not hide from me, Lord
I long for Your presence daily, the fresh annointing and strength
You know my heart inside out and the hurts I feel
Hold O Lord, my heart in Your hands
Keep me close by Your very side

Lord, I love You
I know You are close, Lord, to me
But not only Your presence, I desire also to see Your power
I desired to hear Your voice
And to see You in my dreams

Lord, I am coming
Wait for me
I would laugh and dance with You
Walk and hold Your hand
On the white shores under blue sky
Before a sparkling, endless sea...

Posted by The Inflamed at 11:42 PM

Monday, August 06, 2007

How do I find rest?

Something I have heard said and yet found true and very interesting, is that: Life flys by you and time is precious, but no matter how fast life flys by, life is still very long.

If disagreements surface, speak to some of the more elderly folks. By 50, some would have said that they have lived far too long.

Back in secondary school...I was free, I felt free. My goal was just to live out each day of my life and plan as things come my way. I never aspired for great riches. My only great desire was to have a really happy and contented and loving family. Thats all I really wanted, as well as a secure and comfortable job which I actually enjoyed and not because i'm doing it for the money.

All I wanted was to have enough to get by...have enough to be happy. That was all I asked for...and there were no great burdens, not much stress and life was pretty much free. I didn't have many cares in the world and I walked with a skip in my steps and my voice was filled with delightful songs. I laughed and smiled everyday and frowns hardly appeared. It was good and I think I miss my sec school days.

Yet how is it now that after being entrusted with the great commission and the cultural mandate, I seem to have grown tired and weary? I sometimes walk dragging my feet behind me, and a heavy heart is beating slowly within. I wake up and...can't honestly say that life is great.

I'm not complaining.

I'm just wondering. Do I really have to be so goal oriented, that each and every single day, I'm so focused on my future life...a life where I am supposed to expect prosperity and riches, a life where I am going to be a leader in the marketplace, a life where I see revival come in greater than the tsunami that came in some years back, until I am this stressed?

I have no idea what is weighing me down sometimes. Maybe its because everyday, I'm living out my normal life...and yet I don't see how I am moving towards that great and bright future. I feel that I could be doing something more but when I explore the possibilities, I feel like fainting because I'm already so tired.

I don't know what I should do now besides what I am currently doing. And I'm stressed because I see my goal list:

Nearer goals:

1) School revival
2) Clean hands and a pure heart
3) Loving people fervently
4) Excelling in school
5) See family salvation
6) Great spiritual growth
7) Renewing of mindset and attitude

Further goals:

1) Lead a successful righteous life
2) Be spiritually empowered
3) Have a wonderful family
4) Be exceedingly Happy
5) Be extremely rich
6) Impact the marketplace
7) See revival take place and be a part of it
8) Be a leader in my industry

Just look at the goals man. I see them and I am lost. I think I am already doing all I can. Should I still be concerned and worried? If I am how can I be happy and light hearted? None of these are goals that can be attained by spending some time with books or teachers. No one is going to teach me this stuff.

It seems like so much...for a boy of 18 to do...me who has yet to completely enjoy his adolescence...with the fun and the games and the going out and the movies and the friends...and I'm weighed down by what seems like...one of the greatest responsibilities in the world.

Its an aspiration that I never really aspired. I only hoped for that comfortable bit of life...I didn't need fame, glory, to do great things in the nation and lots of money. I only wanted to take real good care of my family and live away from the hectic Singaporean life. To live life the way I want to live it...together with a strong, happy relationship with my God.

And I remember in Lord of the Rings, Galadriel, elven queen of Lothlorien said to Frodo, Ring bearer, "If you do not find a way, no one will."

In the end...I just wonder...is there any good in worrying? But if I do not worry, in what kind of frame should my thoughts be in? What should I be focusing on if not my goals and how to attain them?

So the wonderful question is: How do I find rest?

Thank you ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. You have been a wonderful audience =)

Au voir.

Posted by The Inflamed at 11:16 PM

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

WARNING. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS SPOILER BELOW. ONLY READ ON IF YOU DONT CARE.

Well people, I've just finished reading the final instalment of the Harry Potter series. =) I am so happy and so proud haha...in fact...when I closed the book some minutes ago, I thought, "Ahh what a great book. Nice touch to the ending =p though if I may be allowed to say so, I have guessed some of the endings and am well pleased to discover that I am right!

At the airport last saturday, on my way to the train station after fellowship with Rena, Mich, Su Ying and APPLE, I was holding on to the book, reading as I went (The other four already left by cab, leaving me to serene silence and peace so as to allow my eyes to tear through the book).

As I walked, I remembered how unexcited I was...how it was almost boring...how I had already stopped anticipating the arrival of the final book because my brain got fried getting too excited about it in the past. It was so normal...so mundane as I waited for the book to come...I actually forgot all about it, which is weird considering that I was once a hardcore harry potter fan and interestingly, a fan of Emma Watson...but that is another story for another day =P

As my eyes groped the book for words, for the story that my soul suddenly became hungry for, I knew that I could not read fast enough. The fire of Harry Potter rose in me again as I read about familiar characters, spells, locations, dark plans and of course, the scent of oncoming war. I have no idea why...but tales of war and battle always seemed to spark excitement in me.

As I read on, walking at the airport, feeling the chilly air grip me, I could only bow down and salute J.K. Rowling, by far one of the greatest authors I know. Why do I respect her? She is the ONLY author by far, who has been able to write books that keep me captivated, keep me going on...never a dull moment, always magical...and as I read...I felt as if I was Harry Potter himself, on the quest against the Dark Lord.

Even as I read it in the silence of the night, I could feel the chill from the evil wafting out of the sinister plot and could almost imagine the Dark Lord Voldemort looking at me through my bedroom window, flying, wand lifted for the killing curse and the fading sound of his cackle.

Even as I read on, I found it tightly linked to Christianity, having spotted many of the values that the book portrayed.

I loved the themes it played on, especially those of love, trust, hate, anger, bitterness, agony, boldness, power, betrayal, lust and the traditional light versus dark.

Voldemort was a representative of satan himself. And in the book...Voldemort was one who could not love, who felt no love or remorse. All he ever wanted was power and would sacrifice anyone and anything to have it.

Power blinds. In his quest for strength, he had lost purpose and the values of life. The saddest thing one can ever experience...is not being able to experience love. Which is why I remember pastor kong ever saying that the devil is jealous of our souls, for only those with souls can feel love and give love. I am of course not simply referring to boy-girl love, but all love...even love for animals, family, friends and even people that you don't know....

Voldemort had forgotten so many things...he had so much knowledge of dark magic, power was his and he could kill at will. He laughed at the deaths of others, at the love people had for one another.

But true love, friends, was a power so great in itself, so pure, so holy that even the dark taint cannot bear to touch it. Hatred does not overcome love but love overcomes hatred. True love endures forever. Voldemort saw all creatures beneath himself, choosing only the greatest wizards to remain by his side. Yet in his campaign, neglecting the magical creatures like centaurs and house elves was his biggest mistake as they had power beyond what he could see.

I would say...despise no one and despise nothing. Everything, everyone has a powerful quality, a special gift...and it may not be one that is visible. I do not speak as one who self claims himself saintly and noble...I too find it hard not to look down on others at times. Underestimation is always great folly as is overestimation.

In this book also, says alot about motives. What is your motive in doing something that you want to do? The book showed that covetousness for greed brings death while sacrificial covetousness for the safety of others brought life.

Harry and Dumbledore both sought the Ressurection Stone. But only Harry could muster it for Dumbledore secretly sought power...the power of undeath but Harry, he sought the stone to save the entire wizarding community.

There was a particular scene which disturbed me...Harry, Ron and Hermione were caught and imprisoned by the dark wizards and Hermione was taken up, tortured and questioned as Harry and Ron listened from the jail bars. They were thrashing the bars trying to get out and save her...I could feel their desperation...feel the pain that was shooting through them...

Haha...maybe I have grown to love Hermione after all this time. But probably, my heart ached more to know that a girl was being tortured. She was afterwards handed over to a werewolf who wanted to bite her, which I believe symbolises rape since he had been lusting for her flesh ever since they were captured. But no one would want to write about rape in a supposed children's story book would they? Fortunately she was saved.

But the incident caught my heart and wrung it...feeling the pain if you knew that...as the guy you had responsibility to protect the girl...yet she is being tortured while you are behind bars...and all you can hear are her screams...I think if I was Harry or Ron, probably would have fainted, or my heart exploded lols.

The feeling of helplessness...knowing that all you can do is sit and wait and cry while your beloved friend or family member is being terribly mistreated. Nightmare.

Incidentally...I think helplessness...and the inability to protect and guard the girl I love...is a great fear of mine. And I look around..and sometimes am very puzzled, wondering why girls are being mistreated, bullied and treated harshly by brothers, husbands, boyfriends, or other guys. I thought that girls were created for guys to cherish and adore =P and well...as a guy I would say that girls are very adorable hahaha and do not deserve to be treated that badly. Well...forgive my biaseness =P

P.S. To all guys out there, yes I know, not all girls are adorable =P but most of them are? haha

After such a long narration and hoping that no one reading this will fall asleep, I end here, at the close.

I open at the close ;)

I would like to end by saluting J.K. Rowling, for a well produced series of magical, reader-captivating books. The journey with Harry Potter has sadly come to an end at last. I will miss him and all the wonderful characters of the wizarding world that has helped to give colour and light into my life.

Praise the Lord for such a wondrous piece of masterful literature!

Oh and by the way...the Harry Potter Cinemas and Movies sux. I feel quite alot for the books...because the movies...especially the 4th and probably the 5th as well are an INSULT, I repeat, an INSULT to the books!!!!

The movies have failed to capture the magical essence of the plot and turned a masterpiece into a PRODUCT produced and sold for immense PROFIT.

I only watch the movies because I wish to see how it turns out...it can be interesting to see the director's point of view...but in the end they cut out too much of it for the movie to be successful. Many people go there only because its such a craze and they just follow the crowd. Others go to drool over Daniel and Emma.

There is no way, if I had watched the movie first, believe that the books are fantastic.

=) Peace to you all. HAHAHA

Posted by The Inflamed at 9:58 PM

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Clarification

Hello everyone =)

I would just like to clarify some of the things i said in my previous post and erm haha talk a little bit more about relationships.

Now I know that I am not the leading authority of relationships and have not all wisdom and understanding about things. So for he/she who despises my views and my opinions, I want to say I'm sorry. I just wish for free expression of my own views on my own blog. I do not insist that I am right nor am I saying that others are wrong.

Being in a relationship seems like such a simple thing, all about the other person, spending time with him/her, the hugs, the kisses, the love notes, the batting eyelashes, the shyness, the gossips, the slanders, the dating, the phone calls, the heavy smsing, lovey-dovey speech, love, love and all about love and more love, coupled with suanning, the occasional sneer and the sideglance at that-couple-over-there-speaking-sweet-nothings-to-each-other.

At least before I considered committing myself to a girl, that was what I thought relationships are all about. It is a companion you can have, someone who will listen to your woes, be nice to you, buy you presents, hug you when you are feeling sad and lend you a shoulder to cry on. But being in a serious relationship is just nothing like that. Its nothing light and is definitely nothing seriously funny.

I wouldn't laugh if someone told me he was getting married.

But yea, being in a serious relationship kind of boasts that kind of seriousness. It is about being seriously committed to someone whom you are considering as a potential spouse. The dating process is merely a phase whereby you discover if this person is suited to you, settle your differences and see if your personalities match well enough for the couple to wed.

I would call it making an informed decison before marriage. Is being committed funny? I don't think so...for the person who is trying to manage his or her commitment. It is alot of hardwork and managing a proper relationship is probably one of the hardest things you'll find yourself doing in this lifetime.

In the past, I would look at a girl, see that she's great, "fall in love" and start to try and woo her, suffering the pangs of a crush for several months, getting into depression and deep longing for the girl who by the way, is not even close to in any sense. I may not even know her name =)

Me, I don't believe in love at first sight anymore. I don't believe in true love developing in a moment of weeks. I would say that love takes years to cultivate and grow. You can easily spend 4 years with a person and suddenly break up with him/her the very next day. If true love were involved here, the couple would remain friends even after breaking up, understanding that they are not suited for each other.

As for Qiao ru, I cannot with confidence say that I love her deeply and sincerely. I can't, even though I've known her for about 3+ years. But my love for her currently remains at the friendship and sibling level...and I can safely declare that I do love her alot as my buddy and my sister.

Relationship love? I'm not so confident. I'm not that bold to say that I am. Time reveals much.

There is a significant difference dating a close friend and dating a girl you have only known for a week or a month. There is a fresh and new level of closeness and comfort and companionship that assuredly I say, can only be offered you by a friend or a family member. I wouldn't encourage dating someone you can't even be open up to, to talk about your own personal life instead of just crapping and having fun.

I had a very close friendship with a friend once. For 4 years. We laughed, we talked, we crapped, we had fun. The moment we left our secondary school, we lost touch and now only talk 5-10 times a year. Crapping builds very weak friendship but deceptively portrays very strong bonds between people and solid friendships. In my opinion, dating people that you have a crapper's relationship with is wrong. There isn't anything deeper than what's on the surface. The moment you date this wonderfully joyous he/her who is wonderful companion because of his ability to crack comical jokes and make you laugh, you will discover the uglier side of the person.

When you see it, you may want to leave him/her. Oh...but so sad, you've commited yourself to a relationship. How? Break up? How many times should we conduct trial and error and keep on breaking up until we find the right one?

I've said so much. =) But as usual, no one understands what I have just said and no one will listen too. Why? Relationships are a very complex thing. I know, because I didn't listen when I was counselled. I dove into it anyway and confessed to the girl. Its hard to understand it, when you haven't gone through it yourself.

I just wanted to cry out that taking care of someone else is NOT easy. And DON'T argue this point with me =)

In the past 8 months, I would say that I have learnt to take relationships very seriously or more seriously. As I said above, I'm not all wise, not all mature, I may still be wrong and still have a streak of childishness in me when I say I love Qiaoru.

But yea...does anyone know how much thought I've given to the relationship? I have had sleepless, worried nights, many prayers that have wasted my eye with grief. I have been through countless problems, struggles and other nonsense because I and Qiaoru, after much communication, found out that we possess very different personalities that cause great conflict if we do not have the ability to understand one another and communicate effectively.

Men are from Mars, Women, from Venus.

If you are willing to commit to a relationship, what about the other person? Are you sure you know your partner well enough before you date him/her? He/she may be living a double life. Are you and your partner willing to communicate and solve problems together and stick together no matter how terrible things become? Are you sure that you and your partner have a very strong bond? Can you stand the test of time? Have I told my parents? Will your partner tell his/her parents? Can both stay accountable to leaders and parents? What about the spiritual life of the two? Can the guy lead her on in their spiritual walk? Is there a purpose, a goal to your relationship? Or are you looking for hugs and kisses?

So many things to think about, so many worries =) So many people would say that I worry too much, being negative and I should just trust God for my relationships.

The truth is here, even if people do not like to know it. Lets not be rash and suffer emotional hurts and traumas like I have. =) If I understood what it meant, to get to know Qiaoru more before I made my confession to her, I probably would have felt better.

People say, "But I now having a crush on someone already v cham!"

=) Then you go and confess to the person, then come back and tell me if confess already more cham or before confession more cham.

It took me and Qiaoru alot of strength, determination, perserverance and careful thought and additional counsel to remain friends to this day. It was a stiff and tough journey, but very rewarding when we think of all the relationship devils we have overcome. But the moment we defeat one devil, a tougher one appears and we have to contend with it. It can become very tiring.

By the way, the more you underestimate the devil the more powerful he becomes. When we underestimate the devil, we say "Of course I can do all these things, Jesus is with me!" Haha, of course positive confession is good. But when you really get hit by depression by the devil, lets see how weak he really is.

Never say I CAN with too much confidence. Because the devil will come and challenge you and things suddenly seem to be harder than before.

I just wish to make myself clear that I am not promoting relationships, even if it may seem that I am on the verge of entering into one. Nor am I saying that because I have taken my relationship life with serious consideration that I despise those who do not. Again I say, I myself have not all wisdom. This entry might even be a pile of garbage to the Wise.

Getting into a relationship is not wrong. But a relationship with someone is still something very precious and important to God because well, He takes our relationship with Him very very seriously.

I just want to say...do think through before you decide to enter into one. =) If I and Qiaoru should get together one day...do remember that it was not easy to have come so far, not easy at all to have chosen each other. The reasons involved are far more deeper than, "Oh I think she is cute or she has a good heart or oh, she cares so much for others I'm so moved."

AND I'm NOT boasting, "Wahaha! Look! We have had the strength to come so far. Can you do it? I don't think so! BLEH!"

No motive, nothing behind this entry. All I want to say is...

Don't simplify, misinterpret and misunderstand what LOVE and relationships is all about. If someone hasn't been in one and tells me he/she understands all about relationships, then someone needs to be delivered from the spirit of lies or spirit of haughtiness haha because even as I write this, I can't claim to understand EVERYTHING about relationships. I'm just sharing what little I know.

And also I wish to say that IF I and Qiaoru do get together one day, I hope to have your respect, not treating our relationship lightly or believing that we are together purely because we have had the emotions and the feelings for each other.

Despite the feelings, we are still just good friends now...do view us as such...sometimes it just feels like a crime for me to talk to her because we don't want people to think that we are together. I don't talk to her just because "Oh, but boyfriend and girlfriend always spend time together de ma!!"

=) Yea right. Are close friends not even allowed 5 mins to talk to each other without people saying, "Wah you know ah...these two they are always together."?

If I as a close friend, am not allowed to spend time with her without people saying, "Why are the both of you so close?", then should I stop talking to her completely so as to convince people that we are not together?


Maybe I have been talking nonsense. Maybe all throughout this entry I've not been making sense to some people. But I've said my piece and I rest my case.


Glory to the Father for a wonderful friend and of course the CG =) Amen.

Posted by The Inflamed at 11:44 PM

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