Zojirushi Home Bakery Breadmaker BB-KWQ10

The only "ME" time for shopping is when Mr W goes for his hair cut or when he has other errands to do.

Mr W has been talking about a bread machine for months but  I wasn't keen in getting it. Reason being I have a mixer and an oven, I should be able to bake breads with these 2 tools.

I have done my homework on bread makers and also gotten feedbacks from my colleagues and friends who have gotten a bread maker at home. Most of them told me the bread maker is very useful at home. Much more useful than a air fryer. Hmm...I was thinking of getting an air fryer too. But till next time.

So when Mr W went for his haircut last week, I went shopping. I was supposed to shop for bakery accessories but in the end, my eyes strayed. I went to Tangs then back to my favourite shopping mall - Takashimaya. Without much help from the sales personnel, I bought the Zojirushi bread maker.

Why Zojirushi?

I believe most people will prefer this brand. Then again perhaps not. For us, especially Mr W, he has his preferred brands for different household items. For rice cooker or water boiler, it is either Zojirushi or Tiger and they have to be Made in Japan. For knives or any sharp items, it will be Zwilling J.A. Heckels. For bigger machines like washing machine and dryer, it will be Miele.

Alright, back to the home bakery bread makers from Zojirushi. Do note that both the home bakery bread makers are Made in Thailand. Not Japan. But still it is Zojirushi!

The design of this bread maker is compact and it is smaller than most bread maker in the market.
However when we place Zojirushi Home Bakery Breadmaker BB-HAQ10 and BB-KWQ10 side by side, the latter is slight bigger.

Price 

• BB-HAQ10 is selling at S$339.
• BB-KWQ10 is selling at S$369. 

With such a sweet pink colour tone, I was smitten by BB-KWQ10. Hell no, I am not a pink person.
As BB-KWQ10 works the same as BB-HAQ10 and it has additional function (which I will tell you later) and there is not much of a price difference. We decided to buy BB-KWQ10.
*Do note that price quoted are correct as of date at Takashimaya.

Additional function of BB-KWQ10

There are 2 additional functions to this new bread maker.

1. It has a removeable self dispenser to include additional ingredients such as raisins and nuts. Do note that mini chocolate chips cannot be place in this dispenser as it will melt before being added into the dough. It is easy to remove and clean. 
2. It has a new function -Natural Yeast Course. I have not play around with this yet but will update you once I do.

Process

I tried baking a loaf of white bread with medium crust. Last Saturday was my first time using the bread maker, so the baking seems so loooong. Hmm...4 hours 10 mins. Imagine I started the machine at 3pm. Yes, in the afternoon at 3pm. My slow cooked beef stew was done before the bread. I have learnt my lesson. So next time, I will bake in the morning and perhaps, set the timer the day before.

Result

The result is a nice brown outside but a chewier inside (compared to the normal white bread we purchased). The bread texture is almost like kueh - that was how Mr W described it. But I like the bread. It goes well with the stew. :)

I am not sure what went wrong. Probably a few factors,

1. I did not sieve the bread flour. 
2. Perhaps my measurement was off. 
3. Perhaps the yeast has come into contact with the salt. 
4. The impatient Mr W went ahead to cut the bread when it was out from the baking pan. (I guess hunger must have caused this. So the crust was a little too crispy) 

I will try again. I believe I just have not perfect it.

Cleaning

Cleaning is a breeze. Soft sponge and  a bit of dish washing detergent is enough. Do ensure it is completely dry before placing them back.

I am thinking of making croissants this weekend. It seems easy except Mr W said, "Shouldn't the bread maker just bake croissant or buns? It is so troublesome when you have to take the dough out and do what you need to do and place them in the oven to bake."

Really?!!? Come on guys!!! It is a machine and it has already help us big time to make the dough. I guess guys just don't get it.

A Hidden Gem - Baan Pee Lek ร้าน บ้านพี่เล็ก

This is a long delayed post. In one of my entries, I have mentioned about some hidden gems in Thailand.

So today I will introduce this special place which always makes us feel like going to a friend's house for a home cooked meal. It is nested in some private estates. The boss converted this home of theirs to a cosy restaurant - Baan Pee Lek.

This hidden gem is pretty hard to find. Even our friend, Mr L has a little problem locating the place despite being there to dine for many times. It is weaving through Soi and Soi before getting this our destination. You will know why when you see the photos.

The couple who owns this place are very trendy people. I am truly impressed with their food. Simple dishes that are cooked with love. If you are looking for a place for home cooked Thai food, this is it!

It is worth making a trip to this remote area. Its location is so secluded and perhaps only a local will know to navigate into this neighbourhood. So if you have any Thai friends, get them to bring you to this homely restaurant - Baan Pee Lek and remember to make a reservation as it is a popular place to dine for those who stays around that area.

Here are some photos:

The road that will lead us to Baan Pee Lek

The brightly lighted entrance of Baan Pee Lek

Here you can see the parking lot for Baan Pee Lek

The mansion that is opposite Baan Pee Lek

Above, you see the road that leads us to the brightly lighted entrance of Baan Pee Lek and guess what is opposite this home based restaurant - A bungalow that looks abandoned and a little scary...like a haunted mansion.

Back to Baan Pee Lek, this house can hold 20 plus tables, with an interior setting of a classic teak Thai house complete with grand piano. And a "wall of fame" haha...it's family photos of the owners and also photos of those who has dine there. We took one with the lady boss who dresses like a diva. I will show you in a while.

Grand Piano

Wall of Fame

Mr L has brought us here for dinner twice and we always enjoy the food and hospitality of the owners.

Minced Pork with Salted fish

One of my personal favourite is their signature dish - minced pork with salted fish. Mr L told me this is a northern Thai dish. Squeeze the lime over the pork and eat it with the chili and onion. Shiok! The burst of flavours are amazing. I'm salivating while typing this. I miss this dish so much.

 

Northern Thai Sausage

Their Northern Thai sausages is packed with minced pork meat, herbs and kaeng khua red curry paste. 

Hmm..Mr W doesn't quite like this sausages. He still prefers the german sausages. 

Mr W first came across this dish at Rose Garden Restaurant in Bangkok and wow, he was blown by it. Since then every visit of ours to Bangkok, Mr L will definitely bring us to somewhere to have Massaman. This is a dish that is not easily found in any restaurant in Bangkok. Here in Baan Pee Lek, we had tried both the Chicken and Pork Ribs. Mr W prefers the chicken massaman whereas I prefer the pork ribs. The pork ribs are cooked till tender and be removed from the bone easily. Add it with the savoury sauce and wow. *I'm hungry.
Here in Ban Pee Lek, they serve Massaman curry with toasted butter croissants. And I can tell you they are absolutely divine. That's why when I came back to Singapore, I cooked Massaman and served it with toasted butter croissants.

Pork Rib Massanman 

Chicken Massaman

The most common dish people will order - Tom Yum Goong. Their Tom Yum Goong is woah...spicy and exactly how the Thai will have it.

Tom Yum Goong

As for dessert, we order banana cooked in coconut milk and khao niao ma maung to share.

Banana cooked in coconut milk

Khao Niao Ma Maung

Aroy Mak Mak!!!

To end the night, the lady boss wanted to take a photo with us and we did. We took two photos with her - one with Mr L & the other is with Mr W & myself. I believe our photos will be posted on the "wall of fame". Oh I have to crop away Mr W cos he wants to remain as anonymous.

Baan Pee Lek ร้าน บ้านพี่เล็ก
Address : Sai 1 Alley, Nong Bon, Prawet, Bangkok, Thailand
For Reservation : +66 2 3938839

Authentic Italian @ Trattoria Nonna Lina

Singapore, being a small island offers many different cuisines and it is so hard to keep tab on them. To find a true family run restaurant is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Earlier last month, I was introduced to Trattoria Nonna Lina. The distinct patriotic colors is painted as their outer facade. This gem is situated in a shophouse along Cantonment Road. It is small yet cosy place where Chef Simone and his family runs this place. It serves enchanting Tuscany food with the Chef in the house to prepare the food and his family to entertain the request from the customers. They serve true blue Italian cuisine. Food is a little pricey but worth the penny.

Be it lunch or dinner, they will serve their bruschetta as their antipasto. This starter captures the flavors of the ripen tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar topped on toasted slice of baguette.  

Bruschetta

So far I have tried 3 different antipasto - Soute Misto, Insalata Fresca with King Prawns and Zupetta Argentarina. Soute Misto and Insalata Fresca was during lunch. 

Soute Misto

Insalata Fresca with King Prawns

Zupetta Argentarina

From the gardens to the sea, all the ingredients Nonna Lina uses are truly selected with love. My favourite of  antipasto is Zupetta Argentarina ($29). You can said I am a seafood lover more than a vegetable lover. The generous serving of stewed mussells and prawns in the creamy porcini sauce is simply divine. I recommend you to order the antipasto to share as the portion are good for two to three persons.

During lunch hour, I had their Crab Aglio Olio.
Overall it is a decent plate of al dente pasta with a bountiful serving of crab meat. The only downside is the crab meat they served that day was a little fishy. But this does not dampen my desire to come and dine again.

With that said, I brought my cousin, Ms G here for dinner where we ordered an antipasto to share (Zupetta Argentarina, shown above). We ordered 2 main courses - Carbonara di Mare and Tortelli all'Aragosta.

Carbonara di mare

This Carbonara di Mare ($32) is served with seafood (prawn, squid and clams) and bacon in cream sauce.
I have to admit Nonna Lina by far, serves the best carbonara. Each mouth of pasta is infused with the essence of bacon. This is a must to try.

Tortelli all'Aragosta

Next we have Tortelli all'Aragosta ($42). Homemade tortellli filled with marine lobster in seasonal seafood ragù. This delicacy comes with a serving of 6 pieces of tortelli coated with the ragù and topped with the seafood (mussels, squids, prawns and crab meat). You can taste the generous filling of lobster in each tortelli which we can't get enough of. The sauce has a rich taste and velvetly texture. A little sour, sweet, spicy...you can simply taste all of it in this dish. 
I wonder how they manage to cook their pasta to al dente and their sauce are forever so flavourful. Everything is perfetto.

Grazie Chef Simone and his family for sharing their sumptuous dishes.  Ms G and I enjoyed our dinner very much and will definitely come again.

Trattoria Nonna Lina
Website : https://www.facebook.com/TrattoriaNonnaLina
Address : 61 Cantonment Road, Singapore 089757
For Reservation : 6222 0930

Our second home away from home - Land of Smiles

Hi guys,

I have been told to start a travelogue on places I have been in Bangkok. Yea, that's weird right? Because Thailand is a country where most Singaporean visit. Good food and there is still some good deals. Over the years, Mr W has noticed the prices in Bangkok is relatively close to Singapore. Shopping is not really our thing when we are in Bangkok. That is why my mom in law said Mr W is like a "Siam lang" (in hokkien) which means, a Thai. Yes I have to admit Mr W feels at home when he is in Bangkok. We thought of buying an apartment in Bangkok as a holiday home but...leaving the house empty most of the time in the year seems like a waste. So the idea is tentatively archived. Interestingly, every visit of ours, we will look at apartments. haha...only see see look look.

Just a quick background, Mr W has been travelling very frequently to Bangkok to give lectures or training. During his years of travel to Bangkok, he became close with one of his former colleague, a Thai Chinese, let's call his best friend, Mr L. Mr L has retired and he always welcome Mr W and I to visit. He will bring us around Bangkok and also the outskirt of Bangkok. Places where its rare to find tourists. Every trip we made to Bangkok, Mr L will always try to bring us to a new place of interest or a new place to eat. So I will try to pen down as much as possible the various place we have been.

Cheers!!!

Kenwood Chef Sense KVC5000T

Every time when I feel like baking, I have to eliminate that thought because I don't have a mixer at home. *bleah*

My mom said I'm choosy because we like to buy expensive kitchen machines...just like my good looking oven. Okay, it's decent looking and its in white! So to match my oven, Mr W bought me a white and silver chic looking mixer - Kenwood Chef Sense. Tada!!!

Kenwood Chef Sense

Last week Takashimaya got sale - additional 10% discount. Why not?

Speaking of which, last Saturday was a haphazard day for me. Mr W & I went Takashimaya with my old credit card. I totally forgot to bring my new card. It totally spoiled my mood to shop. Luckily Takashimaya still honoured my card by giving me the 10% discount but no points for all the purchases for that day, which sux because I lost more than 100 over points which could have been S$30 voucher. *sob* Blame it on my own forgetfulness.

Now back to the mixer, I always wanted to buy KitchenAid or kMix by Kenwood...one with a glass bowl. But when I saw this beauty, I am sold.

The beauty of this mixer is its power and built. It is a reasonable size (30H x 39W x 29.5D) machine, relatively more compact as to KitchenAid or kMix. The body of this machine is made of die cast aluminium, which gives it a strong and sturdy feel. The edge of the stainless steel bowl is smooth and will not cut. It has a powerful motor of 1100 watts.

Price
Usual price S$899.
Takashimaya Sales price at S$699 with a free gift - Kenwood kitchen scale DS400 (R.P S$128).
Takashimaya cardholder gets an additional 10% off. So which such a hefty discount at S$629.10, I just can't resist.
*Prices are correct at time of purchase.

Mr W bought it without my Takashimaya card. We didn't want to carry it back home, so Takashimaya will get it delivered next week.

About Chef Sense mixer
It features a 4.6 litre stainless steel mixing bowl with built-in handles. The bowl has graduation measurement whereby I can just use the bowl as a measuring gauge.  I do know some models that is pretty sharp. As usual, it comes with 3 dedicated tools - whisk, beater and hook. For more detailed information, you can visit Kenwood Chef Sense KVC5000T.

3 Basic Tools

I just love how sturdy this piece of machine is. I can only give you the physical review right now. For a full review, I will update once I use it.

*Photos are credits to Kenwood because I have not received my mixer.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated to Kenwood.

Rowenta Oven OC 7891

I have started to bake 8 years ago but I have never own a piece of kitchen machine. How did I bake then? Well I used my mom's mixer and oven when I was still staying with my parents. When I have moved out, the new place has no oven nor mixer!!! So no baking for these few years.

After years of persuasion, Mr W (my husband) agreed to purchase an oven for me to bake!!! Yes YEARS to persuade him. He only agreed early this year! Rowenta OC 7891 was our choice.

Tangs has having a promotion then. It was selling at about S$799 (I can't remember the exact price) which was cheaper than Best Denki.
It comes with 3 free gifts-
i) Baking dish with silicon handles,
ii) Tefal Sensation Blue Stew pot
iii) Tefal Filter Coffee Maker.
Ah I managed to find the promotion. Hehe...note that this promo has ended.


Why this oven?
We have read many reviews and many sang praises of this oven. This is one of the contributing factor why we were deciding on this. There are plenty of ovens to choose from and their prices are more competitive than OC 7891.

The winning vote was that OC 7891 is sturdy built and its 38 litre capacity allows me to bake more at one go. It also comes with a 3 in 1 oven dish for steam, braised and gratin dishes. Oh yes, I forgot to mention it has a steam function which is pretty unique.

About the oven & my usage
This oven has 28 preset menus and 5 cooking modes: turbo fan, natural convection, pastry, grill and defrosting.

So far, I used 4 of the 5 cooking modes: natural convection, pastry, grill and defrosting.

The pineapple tarts, kueh bangkit and brownies turn out good. The heat is evenly spread in the oven.

Oven baked chicken, shrimps and even grilled salmon are all done to perfection for any lunch or dinner. Sometimes a working wife needs such a right hand "man" in the kitchen. This oven allows me to prepare dinner at a breeze. Feel free to view the food I have prepared using this oven at http://jeaneskitchen.blogspot.sg/search/label/ovenbaked.

I use it to thaw frozen meat and fish. After each thaw, I made sure I just heat the oven for 5 to 8 minutes to get rid of any raw smell in the oven. This is just a precaution.

I use this oven to heat up sauces or curry. It does the job well despite the fact that it is not a microwave. It is a lot safer than using a microwave to heat up food. Maybe it is just me.

Verdict
It is worth every cent to buy this oven. First of all, it is well built and very heavy. I mean it, it is a heavy oven as compared to many others. Not easy to shift it around.

It is easy to use and with all its function, it can literally be the machine that cooks most of our meals.