Roasted asparagus with balsamic vinegar and cheese

Another easy recipe that goes well as a side dish.

Roasted asparagus with balsamic vinegar and cheese (Serves 3)

Roasted asparagus with balsamic vinegar and cheese

Ingredients:

250g asparagus

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Black pepper

Aged balsamic vinegar

Cheese

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Arrange the asparagus on a baking tray, preferably in one single layer.

2) Drizzle some olive oil over the asparagus, then add sea salt and black pepper.

3) Put the tray into the oven. If your tray is not big enough for all the asparagus to be arranged in one single layer, stir and turn the asparagus occasionally.

4) After around 20 minutes (or when the asparagus starts to turn a bit brown), take it out.

5) Drizzle the aged balsamic vinegar over the asparagus, then add shaven cheese on it. 

Note: The recipe specified Parmesan cheese, but I used Gruyere cheese and it still tasted fabulous. Just make sure that the cheese is freshly shaven from a slab of hard cheese, rather than cheese than comes in grated form from the packet. Alternatively, you can sprinkle grated cheese before baking. The melted cheese should go quite well with the asparagus too.

How to take a screenshot on a Mac

Probably everyone knows how to take a screenshot with an iPhone or iPad - by pressing the home and power button simultaneously. But many do not know how to do so with a Mac - be it a Macbook or iMac. 

The answer is Command-Shift-3 - this will take a screenshot and save it to your desktop. 

To take a screenshot of a selected area of your desktop, try Command-Shift-4, then click and drag your mouse over the selected area.

For a screenshot of a particular window, use Command-Shift-4-space, then click on the desired window.

Pan fried marjoram chicken breasts with cherry tomatoes

Made a simple dish for dinner today. And it's really easy. It just takes 30 minutes to prepare.

Pan fried marjoram chicken breasts with cherry tomatoes (Serves 2)

Pan fried marjoram chicken breasts with cherry tomatoes

Ingredients:

2.5 tablespoons of butter (at room temperature)

1 to 2 cloves of garlic, chopped to fine pieces

1.5 to 2 teaspoons of marjoram

0.5 to 1 teaspoon of paprika

Black pepper

Salt

2 chicken breasts (skinless and boneless)

300g of cherry tomatoes

Dash of parsley

Instructions:

1) Season the chicken breasts with some salt and pepper.

2) Mix the butter, garlic, marjoram, and paprika in a small bowl. Add some pepper and a little bit of salt.

3) Add 1.5 tablespoons of the mixture to a skillet over medium heat and spread it uniformly.

4) Add the chicken into the skillet and cover. It should take around 5 minutes each side to be cooked.

5) Transfer the chicken to a plate. You may want to cover it with foil to keep it warm.

6) Add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet and stir it frequently to prevent it from being charred, then add the remaining mixture in. Crush the tomatoes slightly to release some juices, and continue to stir. Add a bit of salt and pepper, and you are done.

7) Before serving, garnish the tomatoes and chicken breasts with some parsley.

Note that this serves 2, but the portions would be too small if there aren't other dishes or if you are a big eater. If you want, you can prepare 3 (or even 4) pieces of chicken breasts for 2 people. Just adjust the ingredients quantity accordingly.

Casa Verde @ Botanic Gardens

Casa Verde is located at the Botanic Gardens, and finding the correct entrance was pretty time consuming. Note to self - remember to use the entrance at Nassim Road in the future.

The ambience there was pretty good. It is also a well-known place for dog owners to bring their dogs to, so I will probably visit there some time again with my dog on weekend mornings. 

Okay, now let's zoom in to the food.

Gourmet Breakfast, $15

I ordered the Gourmet Breakfast, which comes with 2 eggs, hash brown, back bacon, sauteed mushrooms, roasted tomato, and sausage. There wasn't anything really special about this - just your standard American breakfast. It comes with 2 pieces of toast as well. Presentation-wise, it looked a little lacking, especially for the eggs.

Toast that comes with the Gourmet Breakfast

My gf ordered the Field Mushroom Burger. 

Field Mushroom Burger, $15.50

Nothing really special about this; it was decent enough. The fries were not bad, though.

Verdict - A good place for brunch, with good ambience and decent food that is priced reasonably (no service charge, and GST is already included in). I wouldn't mind visiting it again.

If only....

So TT is our next president. As much as I am glad that TKL did not win (hell, he only got 4.9% of the votes. But I do feel sorry that he didn't even manage to get back his election deposit), I am a bit disappointed that TCB did not win. Still, it is undeniable that TT has the experience and bearing to be our next president. 

Considering the results - TT 35.2%, TCB 34.8%, TJS 25.1%, TKL 4.9% - it is clear that history would have changed if TJS and TKL had not contested. 

If TKL had not contested, chances are high that TCB would be president now. From TKL's profile, people who did not vote for TKL would most likely have voted for TJS. But some would still spill over to TCB. Even a 10% share would have given TCB around an extra 0.5%, edging him over TT. It is rather unlikely that TKL's supporters would vote for TT.

If TJS had not contested, TCB would most likely have won as well. Similarly, quite a number of the 25.1% would have gone to either TCB or TKL. TT would most probably get some votes too, but the proportion is expected to be less. Again, this number of extra votes would have given TCB the edge over TT.

If websites such as The Temasek Review etc had not endorsed TJS as their presidential choice, things would have probably changed. They reached out especially to netizens who did not know who to vote for (but knew who not to vote for - TT). So in an attempt to unify the people's votes against TT, they decided to focus on TJS. How many votes did they sway? This is hard to say. But knowing that TJS managed to clinch 25.1% of votes, this brings me back to my previous point. If these websites had endorsed TCB, my Facebook would probably be full of people celebrating instead of mourning. TJS was also the last one who contested. It seems rather amusing that he was granted the Certificate of Eligibility even though he had not managed a company with $100 million market cap or equivalent.  Managing $100 million of AUM (assets under management) is an entirely different thing, which gave rise to suspicions that TJS was allowed to run just to dilute the votes against TT. 

It is interesting to note this. Are the people who voted against TT:

A) Pro-opposition?

B) Anti-PAP?

C) Neutral but want something to change?

D) Pro PAP but sick of PAP's arrogance?

My presidential-unhopeful, Tan Kin Lian #2

I chanced upon some Youtube videos of Tan Kin Lian, and my opinion of him just dropped even further.

Video #1 - Optical Illusion

TKL teaches you how to perform... an optical illusion with 3 cups of cup noodles. Genius. Can someone just tell him straight in the face that the 3 cups look exactly the same size?

Video #2 - Torchlight

TKL teaches you how to use a.... torchlight. Seriously. Who the fuck needs to learn how to use a torchlight? 

Video #3 - SIA Frequent Flyer

TKL teaches you how to call SIA to check your miles. Oh yes. In case you don't know that you can go to SIA's website to check your miles or get the number to call, you can go to Youtube and let TKL guide you. 

Video #4 - Calling Starhub

TKL teaches you how to call Starhub hotline. It looks like his first time calling them too. Halfway, he says, "I am totally lost. I will try one more time..."

If TKL becomes President I will seriously think of migrating to another country.

Huh?

While looking for places for brunch, I chanced across Epicurious' website.

"Our full breakfast menu is available at on Saturdays and Sundays at The Quayside from 9am until we run out, and at The Rail Mall from 9am to 4pm.


During the week, a limited All-Day-Breakfast is available during lunch."

Uhh so what does this mean? Isn't all-day-breakfast supposed to be available all day? Why is it available only during lunch?

Would it be better if they just change the sentence to "During the week, our breakfast menu is also available during lunch until it is sold out."?

Lessons from Angry Birds

Angry Birds actually gives pretty good lessons and insights on life. Here are some I thought of:

1) Don't give up

Just can't kill off the last pig? Just can't get enough points to get 3 stars? Don't give up. It is definitely possible. While you may try different approaches, the most important fact is to keep trying and not give up. 

2) Don't stick to the same method time and time again

There are many ways to clear a stage. Don't rely on the same formula and expect it to work every time! Explore and experiment. For example, firing the boomerang bird in the opposite direction (towards the left) has actually helped me a couple of times.

3) Everyone is good at something (usually)

This is more for managers managing a team. Each bird is good at something specifically - the tiny blue birds smash through glass as if they were paper, the yellow birds have the longest range and are good for aiming, the black birds are great for shattering stone and explosions, the huge red birds for their weight, the white birds for their vertical egg bombs and subsequent parabolic flight, etc.

Though I say that everyone is good at something, I can't imagine what the normal red bird is good at... In work, most teams have someone who doesn't stand out at all, but hey, it's better than not having the bird there at all...

My presidential-unhopeful, Tan Kin Lian #1

Today, the Sunday Times had an article on Tan Kin Lian, He hopes to instil honesty & fairness. 

TKL has an issue with the Government on the impact of national service on Singaporean men. He claims that because men start their careers a couple of years later than women, they are disadvantaged in many ways.

"What does it mean? They marry later. What does it mean? No babies. There are many consequences," he says.

I think one does not even need much of a brain to know that national service is not the cause of our low birth rate. National service has been around since 1967. Did our birth rate fall right after it was introduced?

Maybe I should write to the Elections Department to ask if I can use my vote to offset one vote for TKL.

Buy emerging markets!

Markets are still extremely volatile, but they actually present some very excellent buying opportunities. Today, I topped up into emerging markets, because huge outflows from emerging market equities since 2008 have pointed to a possible indication to buy emerging market equities at their lowest valuations in 2.5 years. Valuations are now 30% below the 20 year average, as shown by data compiled by Morgan Stanley and Bloomberg.

In the past decade, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index went up by an average of 17% in six months after outflows of this magnitude. Out of 12 occasions, 11 gained, according to EPFR Global and Bloomberg.

The current market problems actually stem from the developed countries. Emerging markets do not share the same problems. Growth is still quite strong, and demographics, a very important point for investing in emerging markets, will continue to be a significant driver of growth.

Lame excuse

For being caught on TV while using her mobile phone during the national anthem at the NDP, MP Penny Low gave a really lame excuse.

"I was so caught up in the wonderful NDP 2011 and felt so proud of being a Singaporean that I wanted to capture that moment of pride at the very tail end of the anthem, to share on Facebook with my residents."

"If in my enthusiasm I offended anyone, please accept my apologies. NDP is a time to unite, not divide. Majulah Singapura!"

Instead of giving a proper apology, she attributed her mistake to her overwhelming patriotism and loyalty to Singapore. Ending it with a "Majulah Singapura" was really the last straw. I know my hairs stood when I read this.

Update as of 12th August 2011:
It was discovered that MP Penny Low did not even post any picture at the time the national anthem was sung. According to CNA, the national anthem was sung at 810pm, but the 'nearest' picture posted by Penny Low was at 8pm. Subsequent pictures were posted at 954pm and 955pm.

http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/08/12/pap-malaysian-mp-penny-low-did-not-post-any-photos-on-her-facebook-when-national-anthem-was-sung/

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Credits: www.gamespot.com

Two weeks ago, I bought Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3) as it was on sale ($39.90). Reviews for it were also great (9.0 on Gamespot) so I got it without much hesitation. It's actually quite an old game, being released in 2009.

I am only at 13% of the game, but I am already sucked into its plot and gameplay. Combat is simple but not too easy, and I love the way they make his fighting more fluid as he moves from punching one thug in the face to countering a kick from behind, and then to jumping across the hall to grapple another thug to the floor. Stealth tactics make the fun a lot more fun, and these are usually a necessity if the opponents are armed with handguns (Batman is afraid of bullets, unlike Superman). Being able to use the environment to your advantage only serves to make the game more interesting. There are countless ways to takedown an enemy - direct combat, silently from behind, silently from above (where Batman grabs his enemies when they pass beneath him and leave them hanging in the air in ropes), detonating a wall when someone walks past... the list goes on. 

Batman also comes with an arsenal of gadgets, like the Batarang, Bataclaw, and explosive gel, and as he pummels more thugs and gets more experience points, he can unlock new moves and upgrade his armour and weapons. This gives the player an incentive to string combos together to gain more experience points. The game is also peppered with optional awards and riddles (thanks to the Riddler), and whenever Batman solves one, he gets more experience points.  

Last but not least, the voice acting is superb, especially the Joker's. He is voiced by Mark Hamill, who is actually most well known for his role as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.

Update as of 7th Oct 2011: 
Finally completed the game, unlocking all the riddles (with the help of the internet, of course). This is especially apt since the Riddler actually accused Batman of using the internet after I unlocked around 80% of his riddles.

More tips on cooking steaks

Just watched a video in ieatishootipost.sg on cooking steaks. 

Key takeaways on top of my previous entry on steaks:

1) Before cooking the steak, let the steak approach room temperature. (Doesn't this allow bacteria to grow? hmm... I think I will let the meat rest for a while after taking it out from the fridge, but not till room temperature)

2) Season it with olive oil first, then add sea salt, pepper, and some lemon juice.

3) When the sides start to get cooked, it's time to turn the steak.

4) After it is cooked, wrap the steak in aluminum foil and let it rest for a while again. This will let the steak get cooked evenly such that the insides will become uniformly pink, instead of pink and red.

Market bloodbath - time to go in?

After the market crashed yesterday, I went to take a look at my portfolio again. As expected, my US fund has plummeted; it is now down by 16%. My Europe fund was not much better at 13% in the red. China is down by around 11%, while Taiwan (which was already the worst performing in my portfolio) is now down 25%! Ouch. Thank goodness for my fixed income funds, which provided some measure of defence in my portfolio.

Core portfolio - 75.68%

Asia ex Japan Equity - 11.12%

Asia ex Japan Balanced - 5.10%

Emerging Markets - 9.20%

Europe Equity - 7.05%

Global Bonds - 7.19%

High Yield - 3.96%

Japan - 2.01%

Singapore Equity - 11.98%

Short Duration - 11.22%

US Equity - 6.85%

Supplementary portfolio - 24.32%

Global Resources - 4.51%

Taiwan Equity- 3.77%

Global Technology - 5.69%

China Equity - 9.01%

Russia Equity - 1.34%

By asset class, this would be 72.54% equity, 5.10% balanced, and 22.37% fixed income.

I have been doing some thinking these two months and have decided to move towards a smaller supplementary portfolio. Previously I categorised High Yield under my supplementary portfolio, but now I have moved it into my core portfolio. Will be trying to use new monies to rebalance my portfolio.

After US stocks crashed and S&P downgraded US debt from AAA to AA+, I decided to top up my US fund slightly. Why? I think markets have over-reacted. US companies are still making profits, with 71% of US companies outperforming expectations in Q2. Valuations are now extremely attractive, and markets have priced in the significant amount of bad news out there. 

I must admit that I was a bit nervous about topping up in US when everyone is fleeing from it. But I took one step back and asked myself - if a client came to me today and asked me for my opinions, what would I recommend? I would recommend topping up into US now, or start a RSP to take advantage of the market's volatility. Even if US drops further, it is undeniable that you would be getting a good deal in the medium term. After this, I felt more reassured and put in the trade. 

I also topped up into Japan slightly (more to increase my portfolio allocation in Japan than to exploit opportunities) and more into Short Duration funds for safety.