The Skeptical Optimist

I’ve had a really good run of interviews lately – just thought I should post some links up before they disappear forever from the Primetime Morning page. One of the ones I am particularly proud of is this one that I did with Wole Soyinka, Nobel Prize Laureate and political activist.

He was in town for the Sun Festival and I got a chance to sit him down and talk about his writing, his dreams (at the grand age of 75) and his political views. I’ll admit freely that before I met him I only had a vague idea of Nigerian history and its political struggles. Of course, like any interviewer worth her salt, I did quite a bit of research before I actually did the interview. Still there’s nothing like hearing it firsthand from someone who experienced it. The best interviews I do transport me into someone’s thoughts and memories – and I really hope that that comes across when the interview goes to air. What really moved me was when he talked about how he had come to a certain acceptance that the “utopia” he wished for Nigeria would not come to pass in his lifetime – but that didn’t mean he would stop trying to make the world a more fair and honourable place.

Somewhat more lighthearted, but no less intellectual really was my interview cum cooking session with Chinese cookbook writer Fuchsia Dunlop.

I’d actually written a paper on her memoir about eating in China as part of an independent study module I did for my ongoing Masters in English Lit that I’m doing in NUS. It was about cultural transformation through food and it’s truly fascinating how Fuchsia has really taken on an incredible amount of Chineseness (if there is such a thing) through learning, cooking and eating all manner of Chinese foods. Her command of Mandarin, especially it’s specialized culinary vocabulary is astounding and never fails to impress Chinese chefs. I love the way she describes falling in love with spicy Sichuanese cuisine and also the very astute observations she has about China’s gastronomic culture and how that will be the way out of its food scandals. I definitely recommend the memoir, although being the half-baked Chinese cook that I am, her cookbooks are a little intimidating!

And of course… now the Neil Gaiman interview is up on the website! Neil has graciously credited me on his blog which is making my blog stats go a bit nuts with Gaiman fans. Sorry to disappoint! I am neither macabre nor fantastical! But if you are curious about the interviews… they are up here and here. Enjoy!

Tags: Fuchsia Dunlop, interviews, neil gaiman, Wole Soyinka

just some snapshots of the trip we took – spring in Western Australia is a lovely time… and the kids really enjoyed being farmboys, the city folk that we are!It actually really shocked me how much they enjoyed all the feeding of sheep, rabbits, llamas, etc… Sometimes I think the world we live in is too much a virtual one and being able to get outdoors into wide open spaces with other living things, that’s always a good thing…

Tags: family time, farmstays, travels, western australia

This is the last in this series of Frugal Gourmet – I’m preparing another coda of 6 episodes which are set to air nearer December so look out for that! Here are the ingredients:

Tuna (can also be substituted with swordfish or seabass)

salad:
watercress
cucumber
fennel
mint
chervil
anchovies (in olive oil)
lemon juice
olive oil
salt and pepper.

This was particularly simple and delicious! I hope you enjoy making it!

I got the chance to interview the lovely Neil Gaiman again after his first visit here 4 years ago. Here are the photos: first me very very pregnant in 2005 with Neil and then very unpregnant in 2009


What can I say? It’s amazing to be in the same room with a mind that is sharp, witty, expansive, omnivorous and best of all, just really nice and down to earth. It was really nice chatting to him after the interview as well, and you come to understand why he’s so beloved of his fans. It’s not just that the universes he creates are so encompassing and vivid, it’s also that he’s a truly genuine guy who really tries to connect with each person that he meets. I’ve interviewed quite a few celebrities in my short career, but even then, I can tell you that that is pretty rare. So kudos to the people who braved thunderstorms, waited in line patiently and lugged enormous copies of Ultimate Sandman all around the shop – it IS totally worth it.

Check out my 2 part interview with him Wednesday on Primetime Morning – he talks about his new book about the Chinese legend “Journey to the West”, his relationship with Amanda Palmer and his best advice for writers…

Tags: neil gaiman

Hi everyone… sort of swamped at work at the moment – but here is the recipe very quickly:

Fettucini Alfredo
Cream
Taleggio Cheese
Italian Parsley
Majoram
Button mushrooms
Olive oil
Fettucini (can substitute dry pasta too)

And yes, for those who were asking – it was very very yummy!!!

Tags: frugal gourmet

I’m writing this sitting at my desk and eating a chicken sandwich…. hoping you enjoyed this week’s episode of Frugal Gourmet. My sandwich is from the leftovers of a roast chicken that I made, to which I added wholemeal bread, baby spinach and very spicy French mustard. But let’s get down to business with this week’s recipe by Chef Stefano:

-sourdough bread
-chicken breast (marinated with olive oil, salt, pepper and grilled or panfried)
-tomatoes (sliced thickly)
-rocket leaves
-asparagus (blanched and halved lengthwise)
-parmesan cheese (shaved with a potato peeler)
-japanese mayonnaise

I’ve been getting a few comments about including instructions – but I think if you’ve watched Frugal Gourmet, the recipes are pretty straightforward…. Hopefully you’ve watched it! Otherwise the segment is repeated Saturday at 6.30am, 10.30am and 3.30pm and also Sunday 7.30am and 5.30pm. So no excuses!

Send in the photos to ptm@channelnewsasia.com – the prize this week is a dinner voucher for One-Ninety, which has some really good food… I’ve worked with the chefs in charge of the restaurant for the series and really learnt some good simple techniques about how to cook better and make the most of your ingredients. So I hope you’ve been enjoying the segment…

Tags: frugal gourmet

Thanks to everyone who submitted their photos for the Cod Fish contest… we had a record number of entries and unfortunately only one winner is possible…

Anyway, this week’s recipe is very simple and really yummy… Some of you have asked why I haven’t posted the instructions on the blog, well hopefully if you’ve seen the segment you’ll know how to cook the dish!

Here are the ingredients for the Tofu Salad:

1 block of pressed tofu, deep fried
Achar
Pickled onions
Red peppers
Baby spinach leaves
Dress with: peanut sauce and thai chili sauce
Garnish with: sesame seeds

Have fun cooking!

Thanks for all your entries for last week’s contest… this week we tackle Seared Cod Fish with Soy Vinaigrette and vegetables – here are the ingredients for this wonderful light and flavourful dish.

Here are the ingredients:

-Cod Fish fillet

Vinaigrette:
- cherry tomatoes
- butter
- garlic
- shallots
- ginger
- soy sauce

Vegetables
-olive oil
- garlic
- pak choy
- shiitake mushrooms
- asparagus

Happy cooking!

Tags: frugal gourmet

Thanks to everyone who has submitted a recipe for Frugal Gourmet. There are some really talented cooks and food photographers out there!

Apologies for not updating my blog to reflect last week’s recipe, I was on holiday in Western Australia…. My family and I flew to Perth and then drove south to Margaret River, but I’ll save that for my next blog entry.

Anyway, down to business… here is the recipe for this week’s very yummy dish: Pork Chop in a Milanese style with San Marzano Tomato Salad. Now remember this is *Frugal* Gourmet, so please feel free to substitute with more affordable ingredients, and who knows you could stand to win a voucher for 2 for Sunday Brunch at One-Ninety at the Four Seasons Singapore.

Ingredients:
Salad:
Tomatoes
Shallots
Parsley
Red wine vinegar & Olive oil

Pork chop:
Pork chop
Grated Parmesan cheese
Egg wash
Bread crumbs
Salt & Pepper.

The salad is pretty much self-explanatory, but for the pork chop just remember that this is the order you have to use to bread the chops: salt and pepper first, then cheese, then egg wash, then bread crumbs. Chef Bruno says to remember to firmly press in the bread crumbs in this last stage so they do not fall off when you shallow fry them in olive oil.

I do really wish we could post the video up here, but there are some copyright issues with the channel that we need to sort out first! I’m looking forward though to seeing more emails… just send them to ptm@channelnewsasia.com. What are you waiting for?? Roll up your sleeves and get cooking!

Anyway, I’ve gotten a few requests for last week’s recipe for French toast with berries compote as well:

Compote:
Sugar
Lemon juice
Assorted berries

French toast:
2 slices Whole loaf white bread
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
Maple syrup to taste.

Tags: frugal gourmet

I’ve just started a new segment on Primetime Morning called Frugal Gourmet. This was partly inspired by the economic recession and also by my love for a good homecooked meal. For this series we are working with the lovely chefs over at the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore… I know you must be thinking what a luxury hotel has to do with being frugal – but really, the best way to get the most out of simple ingredients is to pick up some good techniques from trained chefs.

Working with Bruno and Stefano from the Four Seasons, you really get little useful tips like proper knife work with vegetables or what the correct temperature is for cooking delicate fish. Plus, even though they are usually stressed out guys running a tight ship in the One-Ninety restaurant kitchen, they’re really quite friendly and fun to work with!

Anyway, this series will be a 9 parter, that runs every Wednesday at about 7.20am and 8.20am – we’ve already gone through 2 recipes: Egg White Frittata and Bircher Muesli. What’s also exciting is that we’re running a cooking contest in conjunction with the series and the prizes are dining vouchers at the Four Seasons. So if you’re frugal … you get to enjoy a little luxury after that.

If you want to take part this week: here are the ingredients for the muesli:

1 cup rolled oats
1 green apple, grated
golden raisins
yoghurt
milk

All you need to do is take a picture of your creation and send an email to ptm@channelnewsasia.com – and you could be on your way to a high tea at the Four Seasons! yum!

Tags: frugal gourmet