Oysters with Thai Lime and Ginger Dressing

 

My father-in-law used to tell us (over and over) that his record for eating oysters was forty in one sitting. Look out Adam Richman! You may have a contender here. I guess if it's a buffet and oysters are the most expensive item on the table, then of course you'd want to get your money's worth. I just remembered that my father used to think along the same lines. When I was a kid, we used to make short family trips to Singapore. He said that whenever we have one of those pricey buffet lunches at the hotels, he usually tries to eat more oysters because they were the most expensive item. The thing is, he didn't even like eating raw oysters, though I think he's grown to enjoy them a bit more over time.

As for me, I love oysters, whether they are crumbed and deep-fried, in an omelette, or just served natural. When we had guests over for our Wining and Thai-ning lunch party, I made a quick and simple Thai style dressing to go with the oysters. It turned out wonderful and paired well with the Prosecco we served. Serve these at your next lunch or dinner party, and don't forget the bubbly!

Oysters with Thai Lime and Ginger Dressing

Ingredients

1 dozen fresh oysters, in half shell
2 tbsp chopped scallions/shallots

Dressing:

2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar (or to taste)
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp chopped bird's eye chillies

Method

Combine ingredients to make the dressing.

Place the oysters on a serving plate. Drizzle over the dressing and sprinkle with the chopped scallions. Serve immediately with a glass of sparkling white wine.

 

Coffee and Almond Pork Ribs

 

 

Deep-fried pork ribs with coffee sauce is a popular dish in Singapore and Malaysia, and is usually served with steamed white rice. During my recent trip to Singapore, I had the chance to try it at Prosperous Kitchen restaurant and it was really good, especially with the almond flakes on top which helped cut through the richness of the sauce. I attempted to replicate it at home and it was a success (applause from Mr G), though my version was more robust with an intense coffee flavour. These sweet and sticky pork ribs are absolutely delicious and addictive, and are best enjoyed with a generous plate of white rice.

 

Vepro-Knedlo-Zelo (Czech Roast Pork with Dumplings and Sauerkraut)

 

A few weeks ago, we had a team lunch at Tony Roma's, and naturally at some point, we talked about food, allergies, cooking etc. My boss then posed a question on what was the best meal we've ever had. I couldn't think of a particular "best meal" because eating is not just about the food, but the experience and atmosphere as well. So, my response was more around my most memorable meal, many years ago when I first had deep-fried herb-crusted lamb's brains at Ginger Nuts (what a funky name!) at Port Fairy, a charming fishing village at the end of the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. I will never forget that experience, and boy, did they taste good!

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

 

Winter is coming.

It will officially be winter next month (in Australia), and yet the weather has been rather erratic of late. We had a few warm almost-summer-like days which came as a nice surprise. It kind of makes you think that winter won't be that bad after all. I suppose I shouldn't be complaining. Winter in Sydney is relatively mild. I remember this one time, in college, I was with a group of International students and we were all waiting at the bus-stop (can't remember where we were going) and it was smack in the middle of winter. For many of us, it was our first winter experience. I had my el cheapo Lowes jacket on (such is the life of a poor student) which wasn't much help in keeping out the cold. One of the students was from Canada, and there we were shivering our butts off while she was looking comfortable (though a bit out of place) in shorts and a tank top, oblivious to the cold. Most of us were probably thinking, is this girl mad? Someone asked if she felt cold, and her cool response was "No, this is like summer back home."