Mangoes galore

Went to Mustafa's 2 nights ago. Had seen mangoes appearing in the supermakets and thought this would be the time to get boxes at wholesale prices.
Wah! Little India was really bustling. Had dinner at the Anandha Bhavan outlet just opposite M's. It too was busy, busy. I asked myself - is there a festival coming up? Or was it the norm? Whatever. Had a very delicious, spicy Rava Mysore Masala Thosai. (inspired after watching Vir Sanghvi on A Matter of Taste - Discovery Travel & Living). It is a class above the regular Thosai. Was so taken by it that I forgot to take photos. Will have to return for another bite and blog! Anyway - aim of braving the crowds was to buy mangoes.

Known as the King of Fruit in India (cf Durian in SE Asia), it is well into the season now. If you want good tasty eating mangoes, get them now.
There were 4 Indian varieties, but sadly not the Alphonso, which is considered the best in the world. The next best which was Banganappalli (from Hyderabad), was available, loose as well as in boxes. They were huge, each one weighing in at 400g. These were sweet, had minimal fiber and moderately fragrant. I bought 4 of these and one other intending to compare and contrast.











Also present was Sweet Kesar, also known as the Queen of Mangoes, coming from Gujerat. Since I didnt buy these (had not done my homework, so was not sure if they were fibrous etc), I can only share a description from a Mango farm site which describes them as having a unique sweet taste, golden colour with green overtones.











The other variety which I did buy, which in my opinion is better than the Banganappalli was the Indian Chendoora. It was a smaller mango, about half the size of the former, skin having a reddish hue and had a "metallic" hint to the frangrance. The flesh was deep orange, very sweet and had a more complex taste than Banganappalli. I could imagine a slight coconutty taste, almost like gula melaka or chendol combination.










The last one was Indian Totapuri - reported as the most widely traded Mango of the world. Also called the mango of the common man. Cheap (not here in Singapore) and widely sold in all parts of India. Has a unique shape, very thick skin and good shelf life. Used extensively to make pulp and other processed items as it does not have a very distinct flavour.

Camino memories

Browsing through my iPhoto the other day, I came across photos that brought back memories of a fantastic walk along the Camino de Santiago with a bunch of wonderful Canadians. It was organised by Nancy & Jose of On Foot in Spain. At the Final Dinner, we sang them this song which summarises much of the trip. (Apologies to Ralph Rainger & Leo Robin and Mickey Mouse!)






Thanks! for the Memories
From Canada and Singapore, we came to explore -
Galicia, Leon, Lugo -
And experienced even more;
Oh, Thank you, so much....

Thanks! for the Memories
Nancy and Jose, our guides,
Always by our sides.
The scallop and the arrow -
On these we all relied,
Oh, Thank you, so much....


Thanks! for the Memories
Queso and chorizos,
Tortillas and potatoes,
Ensaladas, empanadas
Jamon and aceitunas -
Oh, Thank you, so much...

Thanks! for the Memories,
The Rain, the Pain -
The Pain, the Rain!
We walked the El Camino -
And loved our time in Spain,
Oh, Thank you, SO MUCH!!

And now, it's time to say Goodbye to our Spanish Family:
M-a-r-i-n-a*, Nancy and Jose!!


*Nancy & Jose's youngest (at the time)

Multigrain Bread

What with rising costs of rice, people have suggested eating potatoes. Why not bread? Yes, OK, wheat prices are on the up as well, but I love bread and sorely miss it every time I travel. Real bread, that is. Not the fluffy air filled Asian or Japanese variety. Real bread, without improvers, emulsifiers, preservatives. The sort that has real good mouthfeel, satisfying crunch of crust, moist chewy insides.
I decided I would make real bread weekly so that I would always have the real thing. Dusting off a recipe sheet, I went into a flurry of flour and made a dozen loaves in a fortnight. Practice makes perfect. Fortunately there were friends and relatives to fob off the edible end results. The not so good ones became oven baked crisps and breadcrumbs. My kitchen counter, espresso machine, living room and shoe rack acquired a fine coating of high gluten bread flour - which fortunately got blow away recently by the seasonal NE Monsoon blowing in from wash area.
My current favourite is Multigrain Bread, my own variant on a great Basic White Bread recipe.

Multigrain loaf (makes 2 x 1lb loaves)

• 4-4.5 cups bread flour
• 0.5 cup multigrain berries, mod ground*
• 1 sachet dry yeast
• 1 tsp flaxseed meal
• 2 tsp salt / 4 tsp kosher flaked salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup warm water (blood temperature)
• 1.5 cups cold water**
• * mix equal amounts unpolished rice, wheat and rye berries
• ** it is so hot in Singapore that cold water allows a nice slow rise resulting in an even crumb

1. Wake up the yeast with warm water and sugar (abt 5-10min)
2. Mix all dry ingredients together, form well in centre
3. Add yeast, mix in enough water to form a soft dough
4. Turn dough out onto floured surface, adding more flour as necessary to make it workable. Knead till smooth and elastic, about 10-15min. Form into smooth ball.
5. Lightly grease a large bowl, place dough into it, turning over once to give a coating of grease
6. Cover and let rise till doubled in size (about 2h)
7. Punch down dough, turn out onto floured surface, divide into 2 equal portions
8. Gently roll or spread out each into a rectangle, as long as the baking tin
9. Roll up like a jelly roll, tucking ends in
10. Place into greased and floured baking tins, cover and let rise for another 1.5h (or overnight in fridge)
11. Heat oven to 220C (preheat x 15min at least)
12. Place loaves in, baking at 220C for 15min then 200C for another 15-20min
13. Turn out onto baking rack. If done, loaves should sound hollow when tapped undersurface
14. Cool thoroughly before slicing
15. If a nice crust is desired, spray oven sides and bottom with water when putting loaves in and midway through the baking process.

Survival of the Fittest (F&B)

Was eating at Carl's Jr outlet at East Coast Park & observed a few new F&B outlets opening at the Big Splash. F&B outlets are springing up everywhere in Singapore. So what qualities will differentiate the good from the bad & the ugly? What determines who survives and who doesn't? Good food alone isn't enough. Good food plus bad/ambivalent frontline staff means losing customers to the next restaurant that has similar food and enthusiastic staff passionate about what they are doing. (which brings me to the issue of many Singaporeans not being passionate about what they do, but that will be another discourse)

1. The whole "good service" experience will include staff who:
• are pleasant & attentive to the needs of customers.
• can speak good English. Especially in locations where customers are from diverse linguistic backgrounds. English is often the common language. Staff who can speak multiple languages will be an asset to the company. I have been to restaurants overseas where staff proudly display languages they can speak on their name tags.
• are quick in "service recovery" when unpleasant situations arise.
• smile!! sour servers are a real turn off.
  
2. Good quality food
• made with fresh ingredients from the market instead of frozen foodstuff.
• why should one spend good money on something that I can cook at home?
  
• good value for money.
3. Location
   
   • is it important? Yes but only to a certain extend because Singaporeans are willing to travel far to eat really good value for money food.
4. Ambience
• a balance between muted "mood" lighting and enough light so that I can see what I am eating, read the menu and converse with my friends!
5. In touch with tech
   
   • customers can make reservations online.
   • online order for takeaway and customers can determine pick-up time.
     
   • is free wifi necessary? It depends on the type of outlet. I cannot imagine surfing in peace in a popular fish head curry restaurant along Race Course Road.

My two cents' worth...

Can you understand me?

I read "English test for foreign front-line staff? Bosses say 'no'" article in The Sunday Times (25 May 2008) with disgust. If you can't read the article by clicking the link, email me and I will send it to you.
The gist of the article:
Employers are not keen on imposing an English entry test for foreign workers in front-line service jobs because:-
a) "Singapore cannot afford to say 'no' to foreign workers." Does that mean Singapore can afford to say "yes" to customers having to accommodate to workers who can only speak mandarin, and having to pay 10% service charge for it? Why should Singaporeans pay for lousy service?
b) "Implementing such a rule will eliminate those able to give good service but not privileged enough to learn the language."

Being able to communicate with a customer in the customer's language is a vital part of providing good service. Service provided by a mute person who can understand me in English is better than a person who can only speak Mandarin but cannot or will not communicate with me.

c) "By the time they finish (with long working hours), they are too tired to attend any courses."
An individual interested in applying for work permit in Singapore should be required to sit for an English test such as IELTS. For example - even if you are a labourer - in order to obtain work permit in Australia, "...Australian authorities require that you (work permit applicant) take the IELTS examination if you are not a native English speaker."

Singapore may not be a "native English speaking" country but English is one of the official languages of Singapore. The education system is in English, road signs are in English, and Parliament is conducted in English. If Singapore wants to continue to attract tourists, front-line staff must be able to speak good English. (and have some that speak French, Spanish, Japanese as well, to be "world class"

Good service is an experience provided to the customer by someone who:
a) can communicate in the language that the customer understands
b) has a pleasant personality (and smiles!)
c) is knowledgeable about the product/service he/she is providing

I had dinner with friends as Jumbo Seafood Restaurant at Dempsey Hill over the weekend. One of my friends asked "May we have a plate of steamed mantou?" - the waitress could not understand what he said, frowned and walked away.
Now, this restaurant is an an area where there are many expats and locals speaking a wide range of languages. Service staff should at least be effectively bilingual.

After all, our education system requires students to be bilingual - why should it be any less for foreigners coming here? Especially front line staff ?

Knowing at least one other language is very important for integration into a multiracial society. Singapore is a multi-lingual, multicultural, multiracial society. To have a group of people who only speak their own language and keep to themselves will end up in cultural and social isolation, forming groups that do not understand each other, become suspicious of each other and lead to disintegration of the society we will in.
We already see this - our parents generation could speak a smattering of Malay, chinese dialects etc and interacted with each other in the pasar (market) and kampong (village). Students graduating from the school system now although bilingual in English (sometimes barely) and mother tongue - do not speak another "official language". Often an ethnic chinese Singaporean student by the time he/she enters the workforce will only be able to speak English, Mandarin but not Malay/Tamil. Not even simple words to say hello, thank you, please. Words that can help form bonds in our multiracial society.

Lose these skills to our own peril

Coffee

Being a wannabe coffee afficionado, I had signed up for a course to learn the basics of Espresso. Made my way to Highlander Coffee, the only safe haven in a row of rather sleazy looking shophouses along Kg Bahru Rd. The moment I entered it was a sensual delight - the invigorating aroma of freshly roasted coffee greeted my nostrils, the ch-ch ch sounds of milk being steamed and textured... beautiful swirly patterns of seemingly impossible latte art.. Tasting will have to wait till we had made our own cups of coffee.
The ever enthusiastic instructor duo brought our class of 10 through types of beans, roasting, grinding (GOD=Grind On Demand!), the correct temperatures... and then we were at the machines creating our own Espresso, practising steaming and texturing.. We admired and drank our first creation with gusto but after the 2nd and 3rd ones we became rather "latte-ed" out! We even learnt some basic Latte art! I have never made or drunk so many cups of espresso, latte, cappucino... The next day, we were introduced to the concept of coffee tasting or "cupping" and appreciated the similarities with wine tasting. A little quiz rounded up the course - good instruction, lots of hands-on - a well spent 1.5 days.