Qbean Soy Bean Porridge

For years soy bean products have been well loved, especially by women, for containing many health benefits. Besides being extremely low in cholesterol, promotes baby soft skin, prevents osteoporosis soy also contains Omega 3 and 6 acids, thus promoting weight loss.

Japan is considered one of the largest consumer of soy products in the world and surprise, surprise, their rate of fatalities due to cardiac arrest is also the lowest.

Here in Malaysia and Singapore, popular soy products include soy bean milk and tau fu fah (tau hwa in Hokkien or tau huey as our neighbors down South call it) and are commonly available via street hawkers in any market or pasar malam.

When Qbean was born, they made these favorite soy bean desserts trendy.

We all know that soy bean milk is great for desserts, but it can be used for savory dishes as well.

Qbean's soy bean porridge is a classic example. A bowl of porridge topped with a generous ladle of soy bean milk, salted egg and garnished with spring onions and fried shallots.

Soy bean porridge and a hot cup of soy bean milk with brown sugar

It may look like a small bowl, but it is surprisingly very filling. There is definitely the unmistakable hint of soy pungency in the dish. However, to make the dish taste better, it would be nice to add a dash of sesame seed oil, which wasn't available.

But does it take an otherwise ordinary drink to a new level? Not really in my humble opinion. The novelty wears off pretty quickly.

Go ahead and try it if you are curious about what soy bean milk taste like as a savory dish. But don't expect it to blow your mind.

FIVE FUN FOOD FACTS – PART 2!

Hey people! We meet again! How are you guys doing? Well I am feeling very peachy today as this is the last day of the week that I am working, and long weekends simply excites me! I hope you guys enjoyed 5 fun food facts that I have shared yesterday, today, I will be sharing the remaining 5 facts!

 We will start with something tad more dangerous, did you know that apple seeds contain cyanide? Another name for apple seeds is pips, contains sugar/ cyanide compound called amygdalin which transforms into hydrogen cyanides once it’s metabolized in your body. It only takes 100-200 mg cyanides to be fatal to an adult within few minutes! Before you go panicking and hail a taxi to the emergency room, well hear me out first! By ingesting couple of seeds won’t kill you, because the human body is capable to handle few seeds.

Another reason why it’s not that dangerous is because swallowing the seeds accidentally without chewing would not be fatal. So fret not people!

The next fact is one of those that will blow your mind, ready? Here we go!

Consuming an excessive amount of carrots, your skin will turn an orange/ yellowish shade! How awesome is that? You don’t have to make special trips to the saloon and pay for your fake tan, all that you have to do, is just to eat large amount of orange carrots! Cool eh? This condition is known as carotenemia and apparently it’s a common condition. Carotene is a pigment and by consuming a large portion of it will turn your skin orange-yellowish. This condition will first be seen on your nose and palms showing the color first, which is why you will see babies with orange nose very often.

The third fact of the day is why are potatoes are called spud? Spud- based on a general definition, is a sharp narrow spade used to dig up large rooted plants. Over the years, this name was lent to the plant that it was often used to dig up- Potatoes. So, this caught on and everybody started to use this word as an alternative to potato. So, now you know why potatoes are also referred as spud!

As shocking as the fourth fact will be, you have no choice but to believe it. Apparently, certain almonds are highly poisonous. Almonds come in 2 varieties, which is sweet and the other is bitter. Thankfully the poisonous ones belong to bitter ones. Bitter almonds contain glycoside amygdalin, which once eaten will be converted into hydrogen cyanide that are very harmful to you, just as similar as apple seeds! So if you decide to take a stroll in the woods and happen to stumble across almonds, do not eat them! It can be poisonous. However processed bitter almonds are safe to consume and hence will be safe for eating then.

The final food fact of the day is about microwaves. Microwaves tend to convert Vitamin B12 to an inactive form unusable by humans. This means, approximately, 30-40% of vitamins are being converted during the time it’s being heated or re-heated in the microwave. On the other note, spinach loses about 77% of its Vitamin B9 when cooked in normal stove but retains nearly all of it when cooked in a microwave.

Okay guys, we have come to the end of five fun food facts, and hope all these facts have helped you guys in one way or another. Take care and catch you guys soon! 

Duck Meat Koay Teow Soup @ Pulau Tikus Market

It's been raining consistently for the past few days in Penang and anything soupy and hot is a welcome relief from the cold.

A hot bowl of hearty duck meat koay teow soup is just perfect. The best duck meat koay teow soup on the island can be found in the Pulau Tikus market. There are other stalls on the island, but so far, this one stood out because of the rich and sweet broth.

Business is brisk as usual

This unassuming stall nestled between a satay stall and a stall selling all types of bread and pastries has been enjoying brisk business for as long as I can remember. It is run by a family consisting of father, daughter and son, but it is the daughter who calls the shots.

The pretty lady who runs the stall

Customers waiting for their orders to go will be amazed by this pretty lady's almost photographic memory. She can remember who ordered what, what they wore, the toppings that they want, what they don't want, etc.

 The father told me once that the secret to the sweetness of their broth is rock sugar. For the base, I noticed carrots and yam bean in the boiling soup.

Duck meat koay teow soup with added meat balls

Of course mine came without the vegetables ;)

The brown bits on top are "bak ewe phok", bits of fat that have been fried till crispy and fragrant. I asked for additional meatballs besides the usual fish balls, duck meat (it's duck meat koay teow soup) and pork. The meat balls have a very distinct hint of cuttle fish. I passed on the coagulated pig blood, though.

 The whole dish came up to RM4.50, which is still pretty reasonable.

They also serve char koay teow, but it's nothing much to shout about. The brother used to be the one who takes care of the char koay teow part of the business, but of late, I noticed that it is the lady boss who mostly runs the stall.

A tip: Never buy from them if you don't see the pretty lady around. Somehow the consistency is just not there when she is not around to prepare the dish. There was once when she went away for her honeymoon, leaving her father and brother to hold the fort. The soup I got was tasteless. Needless to say, I waited for her to get back before returning for my duck meat koay teow soup fix.

They only sell in the evenings and are closed on Fridays.

FIVE FUN FOOD FACTS!

Holla! Today I am back with more fun food facts that will blow your mind for sure! Shall we get started then? Here we go!

Common foods that are naturally radioactive include potatoes, bananas, sunflower seeds, kidney beans, Brazil nuts among others. So far the one that contains most radioactive is Brazil nut. The radium in Brazil nut doesn’t come from especially high levels of radium in the soil where the trees grow, but rather the very extensive root systems the tree develop, which cover a large area of the soil than most trees. Although Banana and Brazil nuts contains very little ionizing radiation, but they have enough to trigger false alarms in some radiation sensors used to detect illegal smuggling of nuclear material. *What?!*

The renowned Heinz has evolved from a small company to now a mega huge company selling multiple types of products. They are also famous for their tagline “57 varieties of Heinz”. Apparently, Henry Heinz came up with the slogan while riding on a train in New York City in 1892. As he was in the train, he spotted a shoe store advertisement that promoted “21 styles of shoes” and thought his company should have a similar slogan. He chose number 57 because he felt that it was a lucky number and didn’t mean anything in particular. Today, Heinz has created more than 5,700 of products.

Did you know the famous navel orange are all perfect clones of navel oranges of one another and guess what? They are all originated back to the same tree. In 1820, a mutation occurred in a group of sweet orange trees growing on the monastery in Bahia, Brazil. The mutation created a seedless orange that was much sweeter than the original citrus fruit. On top of that, the new species had an underdeveloped twin orange growing within the skin of each developed orange. Since navel orange is seedless, farmers couldn’t simply grow seedless oranges but have to amputate a budding from an existing navel orange and unite it with another tree trunk or root. This process is called grafting. Wow! So much information!

Here we go with the fourth fascinating food fact. All my live I keep on wondering why beets are red. So I found that beet are red because it consists of pigment which is called as betalain. The word betalain derived from Latin name of the common beet (Beta Vulgaris) from which betalains was first extracted. (It contains in different types of plants as well like petals of flowers, leaves, stems, roots and fruits)

However, it’s also  can totally depends on which type of betalain pigment and the concentration that is in a particular type of beet, it can vary in color from red to purple which is formerly known as betacyanins betalain pigments while for the yellow to orange color previously known as betaxanthins betalain pigments.

Beets also occasionally turn urines and poops into different color (some people digestive system unable to breakdown the pigment, so it passes through).  Betanins also acts as natural fungicide, which helps to protect plants and at the same time it functions as natural antioxidants and that’s why they are often used as food dye.

I’m pretty sure that most of you gonna love this fifth fact, as it is about how the calorie content of food is determined.  Food calorie (symbol: Cal, equiv: kcal) is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. The large calorie is thus equal to 1000 small calories or one kilocalorie (symbol: kcal).

Manufacturers will use bomb caloriemeter to calculate or to measure the calories. This started with placing the food source in a sealed container filled with water.  Then they will burn the food with electrical power.  Once the food is completely burned, the manufacturer will measure the calorie by measuring the water temperature and how many calories used.

 However, the manufacturers moved from this step as it is quite expensive and since the food consists of indigestible like fiber. The Nutrition Labelling and Education Act 1990, the y begins to introduce the Atwater System which will be an easier method to measure calories.

This method adds up the calorie available through the energy containing nutrients like protein carbohydrates, fats, and alcohols. They used standard reference tables for common foods based on their ingredients density.

For instance, a you are having a snack which consists of 5g protein, 10g of carbohydrates, and 15g of fat. Then label on the pack will read as 225 calorie or 225,000 calories (which is simplified to 225 calories) that always lead you towards misconception. So next time watch out what you eat so that you will not take excessive calories ended up being obese and to stay fit.

Anyway, tomorrow I will be sharing the remaining 5 food facts tomorrow, so stay tuned! Catch you guys tomorrow! 

Dayumm Grilled Pork Burger

Being a carnivore I am always on the lookout for anything that is meaty-licious. When I heard about Dayumm Burger, I knew this is something that I must try.

OK, most Penangites are familiar with Marshalls, the name that started it all for the many grilled burger joints sprouting up across the island. But since so many friends have raved about Dayumm, I just have to sink my teeth into one. The only reason I haven’t is that it is a little out of the way for me.

But I decided to finally make the trip one night after gym. For those who don’t know where it is, it is opposite the old Federal Theatre along Jalan Dato Kramat.

I discovered 2 things when I showed up:

1) The location of Penang’s famous Ah Leng Char Koay Teow, which Dayumm takes over at night, but we’ll leave this for a char koay teow post in the future.

2) My friend, B, is helping Dayumm with their marketing.

It’s a rainy night, so there is only one table full of college kids waiting for their order. Even then, I noticed that the grill is full of their homemade patties.

Patties on the grill

Burgers assembly line

Looking at their menu, they have only 2 choices – the Classic with single patty and vegetables or the Complete that comes with egg, cheese and bacon. Customers can add on other items by topping up the price. They also have meatballs as side orders.

Guess which one I ordered.  Well, it was B's suggestion to take the Complete when I told them to make it meaty and ditch the vege.

While waiting for them to complete my order, I had a chance to talk to B, and in the meantime, the aroma of bacon filled my nostrils. Oh man, I so can’t wait to get my burger.

B said that their patties are different in that they include herbs in them. He said that if I have the chance, I should cut out a piece of the patty without the sauce and trimmings. I should be able to see and taste the herbs.

Another thing I noticed is that their egg is akin to McDonalds’ Egg McMuffin, not scrambled or sunny side up.

B told me that they are coming up with more choices on their menu, including a pork chop version. This is still in the R&D stage at the moment, as they will need really good cuts of meat, something which they are currently negotiating with their butcher about.

The college kids get their order served up first. It’s similar to how Marshalls serve up their burgers. In a little basket with skewers keeping the burgers from falling apart.

With their excited chanting of, “Dayumm, Dayumm, Dayumm…” and the mandatory food porn pictures later, they were contentedly chowing down their burgers.

Mine arrived soon enough and I eagerly took my first bite. The first thing that registered in my mind was that the bacons were crispy and smoky fragrant. They only have tomato and thousand island sauces so there was no overwhelming sweet and sour tastes to overpower the taste of the meat.

Another thing that pleased me immensely was that they kept the egg yolk a little undercooked so the yolk oozed out and seeped into the meat in the patty. B was right. There is definitely hint of the herbs, whether it is thyme, rosemary or a mixture of different herbs, I couldn't tell. Another pleasant surprise was raisins. Whether they were from the bun or included with the patty, I didn’t ask. But they definitely complemented the pork very well. In the end, the marriage of all the different flavors and textures created a masterpiece of grastronomic ecstacy.

By the end of the meal, I had sauce and pork juice running down my arm. Did I complain? Absolutely not! But I will say that it is definitely very filling because of the egg. And it was then that it hit me - I forgot to take a pic! :(

So folks, if you haven’t Dayumm yet, as they say, you don’t know what you’re missing. And while you’re there, say hello to Morgana, their little mascot, the sweetest little darling that patrons automatically fall in love with ;)

Say hello to Morgana while you wait for your burger!

IMPROVE YOUR MOOD TODAY. HERE’S HOW!

Have you heard of ‘You are what you eat’? I never really paid much attention to this statement, but recently I stumbled upon a set of fun facts that justifies the statements above. Food provides energy to our body, this is a fact that neither you nor I can deny. However, food also influence our mood every now and then, do you agree? 

Okay okay, let me be more specific. I’m sure you have heard of our elders saying that we should reduce the intake of our spicy food, because spicy food tend to produce heat in our body, hence drive us cranky and keep us in foul mood? Yes, exactly. Also eating more meat will turn us aggressive, while consuming vegetables will keep us calm and will sought after peace. So these facts that I have “stumble upon” suggests a list of food that could improve our mood, and I thought they are pretty impressive. So, shall we?

Avocado- We heard of awesome stuff about avocados and seems like there’s more to come! Apparently, by consuming avocados, you will find your mood greatly elevated! Imagine having them on Monday 

mornings, and feel your mood greatly elevated and never have to battle away your Monday blues ever again!

Raw Cocoa- Chocolates are delicious but the origin of those sinful delights has its share of goodness to our body. Raw cocoa are high in magnesium and triggers the brain production of natural opioids to make you feel good! How about that?

Spinach- Spinach is packed with so many nutrients that it does wonders to your health, illness as well as your mood! Ever seen Popeye the Sailorman in a foul mood? Yep, that’s right.

Sunflower Seeds- Sunflower seeds are not only tasty, but are also rich with vitamin E, selenium and magnesium all contributing in improving your mood.

Chia Seeds- Chia seeds has potent vegetarian source of omega 3, also they are packed with full of amino acids which are known to increase your mood! Awesome stuff!

Why not stack your office with this pure goodness to improve your mood better, I know I will. You never know what are you capable when you are in your best of moods, go and stock up your food inventory today!

BBQ PARTY? FOLLOW THESE UBER COOL TIPS!

Weekends just passed by like a flash huh? Wish I could say the same for the weekdays though. Anyway, just like what I have told you guys last week, I had an awesome time feeding myself with delicious nasi kandar and enjoy what Penang has to offer me. Last week was great; thanks to the school holidays I hear my family will be holding a barbeque party just to celebrate the holidays. This has been going on for a while, and I realize that this has become a tradition in the family. Well, I dare to place a bet that it is also a tradition for so many people out there, but are we grilling our meat the right way? Through proper grilling with right level of fire and heat will not only ensure the texture of the meat but as well as the taste. Today, I will share some tips on grilling the right way, check it out people!

Courtesy of Wowwoo

Courtesy of Wowwoo

So, if you are grilling ground beef, the right temperature is 160°F while for steaks, the right temperature is 145°F. See, there’s a lot of difference there! Did you know that the right method to cook sausages, chops, steaks, and hamburgers are by using direct heat, and indirect heat for roasts and larger cuts of meats. It will make a whole lot of difference.

Here comes the yummy part, no pun intended. And yes, I am talking about chicken! If you are grilling chicken breast, well the best temperature is 165°F and the same temperature for chicken legs. Thin pieces of chicken meat can be cooked under direct heat whereas larger chunks of chicken are best to cook over indirect heat.

Courtesy of Wowwoo

As for pork meat, the right temperature to grill sausages is 165°F while pork chops need to grill over 145°F for the right texture. The correct way to cook sausages are to start them on high heat to get a nice char from the outside, and gradually move it to the cooler side to cook it through. As for seafood, the right temperature to cook salmon is 145°F and the right temperature to cook shrimp is 145°F. The right method is to oil the fish well with neutral flavored oil such as canola to keep it moist. By using the direct heat, fish cooks quickly.

If you are holding a BBQ party soon, well here’s some heads up for you to follow to ensure a happy BBQ session!

First, keep your hands clean. Wash your hands and the grill and leave them squeaky clean for obvious reasons. We do not want to fall sick after a great party, are we?

Second, preheat your grill proper. Light the coals 30 minutes before you plan to cook. Do not put your food on the grill until the fire dies down to glowing coal.

Third, cook with right temperature. Not sure of the temperature? Refer back to above and follow the guide. Use a food thermometer to measure the temperature.

Fourth, give your grill a rest. Remove meat from the grill, and allow the grill to rest for a specific amount of time. Its temperature remains stable or rise which will kill the germs.

Fifth, Hot food should be held 140°F or warmer. Perishable food should not be left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature.

Sixth, always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours. Otherwise your grilled meat will go stale!

You may be thinking, “Oh shucks! All these rules and regulations are tedious!” Tell you what, if by following all these ‘tedious’ rules will keep you and your family safe and healthy and save you trips from clinics and hospital, aren’t all these rules following worthwhile?

  *3 seconds dramatic pause*

Exactly! So the next time you are having a BBQ party, make sure you follow all these to keep you and your family safe!