Makan!

"Makan"is the Malay word for "eat." When you are Singapore, you want to makan at the hawker centers. You have to sample as many of the local fare as you can. Skip the high-end restaurants operated by celebrity chefs. You haven't really been to Singapore until you've eaten some of these ...

raw fish porridge, a favorite of my dad's

char kway teow. a true hawker center classic. this dish has the reputation of being artery-clogging, but it's perfect for that occasional indulgence. 

Singapore-style beef noodles. it's nothing like Vietnamese pho; it's better :)

glutinous rice with peanuts and anchovies. great breakfast.

Laksa. I love this. We even shared a recipe for it on our blog; you can find it here.

chwee kueh -- rice cakes topped with pickled radish and chili sauce. typically eaten for breakfast. 

mee hoon kueh, also known as handmade noodles. served in a delicious anchovy-based broth.

crab. steamed and eaten cold. this is as simple as crab gets. yums.

lor mee. egg noodles smothered in a yummy sauce that's topped off with vinegar and minced raw garlic.

And if you're wondering what to drink while you're chowing away at the hawker centers, I recommend teh-C, which is a local version of tea sweetened with sugar and jazzed up with evaporated milk. Delicious!

People say eating is the national obsession in Singapore. It's hard not to agree. If you're interested in what else you should try when you visit Singapore, here's another list of must-eats that Zach and I compiled when we got back from visiting my family last year!

Good Day/ Good Night

I'm seriously jet-lagged. Perhaps it's because I am older now, or because I was only away for 10 days, but this is the first time I've been hit with it so bad.

Maybe it's just me, but this whole time-traveling, going back in time business seems to be much tougher on my body. When I go to Singapore, jumping forward 12 hours is relatively easy. It takes me about a day to fully adjust. Returning to the US and traveling for 20 hours only to end up still 12 hours behind, does unimaginable things to my body.

Yesterday I spent a mere 9 hours awake. I was awake enough to go to the grocery store, have lunch and dinner, and grab a quick shower. When I was not doing those things, I was sleeping. Today I am determined to get over this stinking jet-lag. I am leaving to go play with Corrinne and her kids in a few. Not being at home should help me stay awake for a bit, I hope!

{harvest} October Peppers

We harvested a huge bowl of peppers from the garden yesterday. That's pretty astounding to me, considering how all of our pepper plants were done and bare by late September last year. 

There are still many young peppers on the plants, and we've been picking off new blossoms so hopefully the plants can direct their energy into ripening the remaining peppers.We'll see how that goes, and let you know what happens when we do our October garden update. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, we wish you a happy Monday and a good week ahead!

Recipe of the Week: Tamarind Eggplant and Chicken

Okay, just one more Asian recipe before we embark on something new for next week!

This has been a great year for eggplants. We have two plants in our garden (lavender and little fingers), but we've also been buying some other varieties from our local farmers' market. Eggplants are little gems in the garden. You can find them in many different types of cuisines. Eggplant has such a mild flavor on its own you can pretty much do whatever you want with it. Fry up some eggplant parmesan, make Middle-Eastern eggplant stew, or, in the case of this week's recipe, stir-fry them Thai-style with some chicken!

Ingredients
2lb eggplant, trimmed and cut into small cubes
1/2 lb chicken, sliced thinly
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 Thai chilies, seeded and sliced thinly
1 cup fresh basil (use Thai or Holy basil if you can find them!)
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
1 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch

Directions
Whisk fish sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, tamarind paste, sugar, and cornstarch to make a sauce. Set aside.
In a large wok, heat about 2 tbsp of oil over high heat, then cook eggplant until tender. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Turn heat down to medium high and stir-fry bell pepper, garlic, and chilies, about 1 minute.
Add chicken and cook thoroughly.
When chicken is cooked, add the reserved eggplant and sauce. Stir to combine.
Turn off heat, and add the basil leaves.
Toss to combine.
Serve hot over rice.

Jet-lagged

Happy Sunday, blog readers!

I arrived in Chicago on Friday morning after a 21 hour flight. Jet-lagged and exhausted, I was in bed by  7:30pm that night. I could barely keep my eyes open! Yesterday, I kept busy while Zach worked at Artists' Own. We went to a wedding in the evening, and were home and in bed by 9. Most people think jet-lag is just about a messed up sleep pattern. The truth is, jet-lag also makes you hungry at the oddest times. Our refrigerator is empty and I am too lazy to go to the store but thank goodness my mom and dad packed me 2 large suitcases full of sweets, treats, and other goodies.

I had an awesome ten days at home and will share more pictures from my trip next week. For the rest of today, I'm just going to enjoy the rain and gloom outside wrapped up in the warmth and comfort of my pajamas :)

sweet home indiana

I am one of those few people who are blessed with two loving homes on the opposite ends of this earth. I take neither for granted. To be able to spend ten long days at home with my mom and dad has been nourishing for my soul. And to meet my nephew for the first time is just another great bonus.

according to my mom, this is a picture of me on my very first flight at age four

At the very same time, it's been hard to be away from Zach for more than a week. We are partners and we do everything together. Not having him around is like being short of a limb. But I'm leaving for my other home tonight. Stay tuned for stories of my Singapore adventures from the other side of the world in a couple of days. Bye for now!

Happy Children's Day

In Singapore, October 1st is celebrated as Children's Day annually. Though I am no longer a little kid, I am still always the baby when I come home to visit. I am staying with my parents while I am visiting, and for the first time in over a decade, I am the only child at home.

I remember loving that Children's Day meant I only had to be in school for half a day. During that couple of hours, there would be an abundance of candy and students would take turns performing songs and dances for the whole school to watch. I was always too shy to participate but I thought all the fanfare was hilarious.

This Children's Day, my mom and I did something special for the one child in our life. We took my nephew, Asher, on a little day trip to town. Asher got to see the sights and sounds of busy Orchard Road. It might not have been the easiest (or most convenient) thing to do, but it warmed my heart to see his little face light up. He got to smile at strangers and make friends with other kids. It is 10pm now and we are all exhausted and awaiting his mom and dad to come pick him up.

Hope everyone gets to celebrate their inner child today. Happy Children's Day!