Life has been terribly busy this year. So busy it is, that I can no longer recall the exact time I last cooked at home. Saying that I really missed this usual hobby is beyond a restrained statement. Luckily, the husband celebrated his birthday recently and that gave me enough reason to reunite with my pots and pans. Without actual plannning, I prepared this pasta dish to add into our dinner repertoire last weekend. 

  

What you need : 250 g penne pasta cooked according to package directions, 1 med sized onion (finely chopped), 1 250 ml jar of bolognese sauce, 1 small can of condensed cream of garlic mushroom, 1/2 tsp ground-dry basil leaves, 2 tbsps olive oil, 250g ground beef, salt & pepper to taste, 1 cup of pasta water reserve, grated parmesan cheese for topping

How to make : Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Take out 1 cup of pasta water reserve, set aside. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Saute onions and beef until tender. Add the cream of mushroom and bolognese sauce. Stir well. Allow to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and ground basil leaves. Stir in cooked pasta and transfer to a serving dish. Add grated parmesan cheese on top.

If the Philippines has Chef Tony's, Singapore has Garret. That's for a popular Popcorn I mean. Being enticed by its sweet, buttery pleasant aroma, I was tempted to try and discover this increasingly becoming Singapore's favorite popcorn. Since my palate is more geared towards savoury, I usually prefers the salty type of popcorn. Hence, induging into a sweet version is something new to me.

I noticed from the selection that most of the flavors Garret offers are nut based. Cashew, Almond, Pecan and Macadamia. I'm beginning to be partial on the later flavor. The crunchy - creamy taste of macadamia blends well with the caramelized popped corn kernels. Likewise, there are the usual classics such as Plain Caramel and Cheese. Overall, I find it too sweet. At times, the caramel note goes beyond satiating. I can only consume a handful. Nevertheless, it's an interesting snacking option.

I found another good mid-range Japanese resto in town. Tucked at the basement level of Raffles City, Osaka Town offers good tasting Chanpon noodles and Okonomiyakis.

Although a bit oily, the Steak Combo is a filling meal to have. It's a combination of pork, chicken, salmon, baked potatoes and some vegetables.

Seafood Chanpon Noodles - it says in the menu that this type of noodles originated from Kyushu in Japan. Chanpon means to mix various things. Several ingredients such as meat, seafood, vegetable are boiled in a signature thick noodle soup. The serving is huge but the noodle dish is surprisingly not overpowering. The soup is thick but not too satiating. It actually feels like a healthy food to take.

Apart from the famous Chicken Rice, there's a similar Chicken Dish that will leave you wanting for more - Samsui Chicken . I kid you not, you will love it for it's succulent, juicy and meaty character. When I first tried it at Soup Restaurant, I knew from then on that I would be a convert from the typical Chicken Rice. It's comforting to know that finally, there's a ginger chicken that I could eat sans the very oily rice. The dish is basically a steamed chicken. It's usually eaten dipped in a fragrant ginger sauce then rolled into a lettuce with some cucumber. The ginger sauce is key to this appetizing dish. It's that note that defines its overall appeal. For a more healthy bite, I usually take out the skin. Though if you would consider its simplicity and the way the chicken is cooked, it's indeed a healthier alternative from other chicken meals.

Literally, ice cream on a toast bread.  I think this isn't new at all concept wise. Perhaps an upgraded version of the local favorite one dollar ice cream? It's offered as a set with a choice of any drinks. I tried the Peanut Butter and Kaya Ice Cream. While the former was too sweet to the palate, the later was just ok. The sweetened red mongo beans on top of the ice cream added an enjoyable texture dimension. It's a definitely filling combination and the smooth mouthfeel of the ice cream gave a rich, fatty impression. With a selling price of $5.80, I would rather go for a serving of ColdStone Ice Cream though.