by Paul on March 31, 2009
Hey all,
Any vodka lovers amongst us? A recent NYT essay talks about the decline in the premium vodka industry during recession times. Of extra interest in the article is the mention of blind taste tests where cheaper vodka performs the same as the higher end varieties!
From the article:
In 2004, Slate magazine crowned a Polish vodka, Chopin, as the best; it cost the same as Grey Goose, which it described as unremarkable. The next year, a panel at The New York Times determined that Smirnoff, at $13 a bottle, was better than its pricier rivals.
Interesting stuff. Maybe I’m fooling myself, but I think I can taste a difference. I’m not a huge Grey Goose fan, but do enjoy Level from Absolut and a few others. There’s this one speciality vodka they were selling in Texas the last time I was there that was super smooth and even my mom was keeping some in her freezer. What was that vodka….
NYT on Vodka
Paul
by joanna on March 31, 2009
A Singapore favorite strikes this breakfast lover as a little lackluster. Updated experience here
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Not the cereal on-the-go breakfast, but the something eggy, something cheesy, maybe a pancake here or there and endless cups of coffee kind of breakfast. Breakfast for lunch is good. Breakfast for dinner is better. But a proper leisurely weekend breakfast is simply divine.
[keep reading…]
by Paul on March 30, 2009
Who doesn’t love brownies? For those of you who fight for those crispy corner brownies – I was browsing amazon.com last night and clicked the baking tab. I sorted by most popular items, just to get a feel for what baking supplies people are shopping for on Amazon. This tray, in the number 1 spot, immediately caught my eye.
It’s one of those oh so obvious why didn’t I think of that items that solves a problem you didn’t even realize existed. To me this is a brilliant solution to a problem people just assumed had to be…you had to use square pans to bake brownies. So the world was doomed to bake brownies with only four corner pieces and cracked edges from overcooking to get to the middle section cooked through. The Baker’s Edge Brownie Pan is a genius solution…just look at the picture and you can see the answer.
I’ve called the bake shops of Singapore and no luck finding it. There are some ebay sellers that will ship to Singapore (for 60 + dollars!!!). So for now I hold out complete review until I can get my hands on one of these. Or if a kind reader stateside wants to ship one our way… 
Baker’s Edge
Paul
by Paul on March 26, 2009
If the brunch at the 4 Seasons Bangkok was elegant and indulgent… the Sunday Brunch at Brasserie Les Saveurs at the St Regis, Singapore was a downright decadent and debaucherous feast only one step back from the famed parties of ancient Rome. [keep reading…]
by Paul on March 26, 2009
Hey all,
If you live in the States and are an appreciator of wine and wine deals check out Wine Woot from the Woot company. The Woot group has a few different websites (random stuff, shirts, wine, etc) that sell one item per category at a time. Once it’s gone they move on to something else. Sometimes deals come back around and sometimes they don’t so it’s good to check daily.
The Wine Woot community is a bit different – you get the normal “woot humor” in the listings, but they also run a blog with guest columnists and some good tips on wine and vineyards. If the weekly Woot isn’t your cup of tea wine, you can also check out some sponsored deals for other buying options.
Wine Woot – Great way to buy some good wines at reasonable prices.
Paul
by Paul on March 22, 2009
If you’re looking for some design inspiration for an upcoming move or remodel, the folks over at colourlovers.com have a great feature on design trends for home interiors. They’ve assembled samples from Crate & Barrel and others to demonstrate the brown and blue fad/trend (time will tell, but I’m going with fad). Actually we were really close to going with these exact colors for this blog and a lot of our house has some elements of these colors.
Interior Design Trends: Blue & Brown
Paul
by Paul on March 19, 2009
Here are three healthy recipes from Kamalaya, Koh Samui. Chef Kai Mueller, the Executive Chef of Kamalaya, taught Joanna these recipes on her Holiday stay. I’m so thankful, the Maki Roll seems to have opened Joanna’s mind to rolls and sushi – no small feat! Recipes after the jump: [keep reading…]
by joanna on March 19, 2009
Kampot and Kep are two charming little villages, if not already on your list of to-do’s in Cambodia, certainly should be. [keep reading…]
by joanna on March 19, 2009
Deep Historical Roots + Culinary Delights await in this dynamic Cambodian city
As many of you will no doubt know, Cambodia was formerly colonized by the French. So in addition to having its own rich history and culture to explore, there is an adopted culture of fine European food, wine and architecture. As such, what will follows can most accurately be described as both a dissection of culinary pursuits with a smattering of local culture in between. [keep reading…]
by joanna on March 19, 2009
I needed some time-off. Time off from the world, from long work days followed by longer dinners, from my computer(s), from my cell phone, from happy hour cocktails… I wanted a real break where I could nourish my body and empty my mind. I did a lot of research and asked around….I was thinking maybe yoga ashram in India, maybe Chinese medicine retreat in Northern Thailand…in the end I discovered the best of both worlds, Kamalaya in Koh Samui, Thailand. [keep reading…]
