The first half of year 2010 has been very good to me. I've been blessed with wonderful opportunities and new experiences. There were just too many to be thankful for. Among the significant ones was the wonderful recognition by the Singapore Blog Awards 2010. To be included in the list of the 10 finests in the Best Food Blog category is already a price to behold. I was elated, honored and humbled all at the same time. Tomorrow is the long awaited awards night. Whoever will grab the prices and the winning trophy, my heartfelt congratulations is sent in advance. Personally, winning is beyond my expectation now. No matter what, I think I've already walked away with a good many recollections. Now and again, I will take on my blogging journey the bits and pieces I've earned out of this acknowledgment. I am encouraged more than ever to do better if not best, to dream big and share more. Thank you to everyone who supported Our Taste of Life, from here and beyond.

I've been invited to Media Conferences / Food Events / Product Launches a number of times. But for some reasons, I always decline. Until the invite to the Singapore Food Festival 2010 came, I finally yielded. For one, although I've been running a food blog for 3 years now, I still hardly consider myself part of the media. But this particular event caught my interest completely. I simply cannot resist. Singapore holds this annual food festival since 1994. By doing so, indeed, the country lives up to what it is known for, being a steaming pot of gastronomic experiences. And on July 16 to 25, we will all continue to explore, taste and celebrate. This year's theme focuses on "heritage, authenticity, time honored dishes and familial recipes". Rightfully so, the festival will parade the treasures of Singapore Chinese Dialect Foods namely Cantonese, Hakka, Hainanese, Hokkien and TeoChew.

I was more than honored to be introduced to these five distinguished cuisines that shaped the eclectic food fare of Singapore to what it is today, by no less than the culinary "guru" of the country, Makansutra himself Mr. K. F. Seetoh. He walked me through the different food booths and generously shared the cultural significance of these Chinese Dialect Cuisines to the food culture of Singapore. Now and again, I was reminded that "every food does tell a story". Must I emphasize too that it's genuinely good and worthwhile one.

From the quintessential meal Nasi Lemak, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Roasted Pork Rice, Satay and Bak Kut Teh to the steaming hot noodle dishes such as Laksa, Char Kway Teow and Fish Head Bee Hoon to the tasty side dishes like Carrot Cake and Oyster Omelette and to the luscious desserts Ice Kachang and Bo Bo Cha Cha all these and more are what await adventurous foodies in Singapore's famous Hawker Centers. Foods in these unpretentious gastronomic haven gave Singapore one of it's world recognized past times - eating. In the many occasions that I've visited a few Hawker Centers in the country, I never wondered why this was so. How can you resist enticing aromas and appealing food choices oozing with delectable flavors right before your very eyes? That's why the popular local cliche goes "die-die must try". It isn't a surprise really why so many people be it locals or tourists preferred to flock in this area. Talk about food innovation and gastronomic creativity, there's no better place to discover them but here.

For the avid fans of Singapore's Hawker Centers, something great awaits you! Are you a certified Hawker Food Lover? Then you must be who inSing.com is waiting for. Singapore's prime local search and lifestyle guide is running an 8-week online contest to look for the country's Ultimate Hawker Food Lover. He or she will recommend the best Hawker Stalls in the island and will write recommendations on the best found Hawker food fare through inSing.com's Food & Drink section. Aside from the regular column, the lucky Hawker Food Lover will receive S$1000 a month for 6 months and a DSLR camera to use as tool in capturing the discovered delicious dishes. Isn't this exciting?! What are you waiting for? Go visit http://www.ilovehawkerfood.com.sg/ for further details. Let's all look forward to what other food treasures the island city-state has. For all we know, they are just waiting to be discovered.

The Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year is also known as "Chun Jie" or "Spring Festival". It's a long period of celebration that starts from the eve of the new year and ends with the Lantern Festival. In Singapore, the later is synonymous to the famous Chingay Parade. Apart from this colorful street parade, there are other activities that equally present awesome entertainment and glee during this season. Most of which are normally showcased in malls and community centers for public viewing. We were lucky to chance upon one in Vivo City. I was mezmerized and awed by the acrobatic skills of these ladies. I cried out a few gasps on their performance. They were really amazing!

Gong Xi! Gong Xi!

Chinese New Year + Valentines Day = merrymaking to the highest level! People were all over the place celebrating. Chinatown looked so vibrant with all the decorations. The main street was well adorned with beautiful flowers. It's also quivering with sounds of joyous people. Restaurants were filled and witnessed to lively reunions. This was Chinese New Year in Singapore...

Chinese trinkets and novelties were abundant in Pagoda street.

Kiong Hi Hoat Chai! Believed to be the most important traditional festivity, Chinese New Year is often times well celebrated anywhere in the world where Chinese community abounds. It is generally the tradition that speaks of the Chinese culture and beliefs about the coming year. Food, gifts, money and a lot more are generously poured out. This is pretty much how we keep Christmas in the Philippines. Oranges, flowers along with other popular decorations are the typical icons of the celebration. Each has its own symbolism that can be related to prosperity, luck, longevity and happiness.

It's a lucky chance to be experiencing this kind of festival the first time. We visited Chinatown and Clarke Quay (among the popular spots during CNY) to view some fanfare and spectacles. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and the large cluster of people we were not able to view any. At home, we celebrated it plainly with food (a far cry from any of the traditional Chinese repertoire). But the real essence of which was actually finding the right time to get back to what I love to do - cooking! Pardon the food shots, my kitchen is still limited at the moment. I've yet to snag a couple of household stuffs to make my food plating more enticing.

Pan-fried Salmon with Cream Sauce

How to prepare: Season salmon with salt and cracked black pepper corns. Pan fry in canola oil for 2 - 3 minutes until it's cooked. Melt about 30 g butter in a pan. Add 250 ml full cream milk and 1/2 of chicken stock cube. Allow to boil and simmer until the sauce thickens. Don't forget to stir continuously.

Tofu Asparagus
How to prepare: Cut tofu into small squares, coat with corn flour and egg then fry until it turns slightly brown. Set aside. Saute onion and garlic in 2 tbsps olive oil until fragrant. Add 250 g boneless chicken (cut into cubes), stir- fry until it turns brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1/2 cup of water, 2 small packs of golden noodle mushroom (enokitake) and 250 g asparagus. Simmer and cook until the vegetables are done. Stir in fried tofu and mix well.