Mascarpone Cheesecake with Nutella Sauce

I go through phases once in a while.  When I try a food that I really like and think that I could replicate it at home, I would do tonnes of research on the internet (I can't imagine how that would be possible 20 years ago, thanks Dr Google) and try out different recipes and variations until my mission was complete. To think of those times I had to eat char kuay teow 3 weekends in a row, the different versions of Korean fried chicken I had to go through, and all those swiss rolls and chiffon cakes (the good, the bad and the downright ugly) - I don't know why I do it, but perhaps it's determination, or maybe I just don't know when to stop. This time, I went through a cheesecake phase. Ever since I tried the New York cheesecake from Lorraine's Patisserie, I totally fell in love with its light, fluffy and cloud-like texture. Never mind that the cake was so delicate that it kept falling apart when I tried to slice it. It was like eating cheese-clouds and gingery spiced biscuit crust - simply heavenly!

Masala Dosa (Far Flung wtih Gary Mehigan)

I have a weakness for all things caramelized, golden brown and crispy. Take for example, this Okonomiyaki Pancake-style Gyoza which was featured in Adam Liaw's Destination Flavour Japan two years ago. How could anyone resist those crispy charred-bottom dumplings doused in Kewpie mayonnaise? Well, certainly not I! Nor could I resist the temptation of the golden crispy dosa that Gary made in his latest cooking show "Far Flung with Gary Mehigan" which started airing on Channel Ten two weeks ago.

Dosa is one of my absolute favourite Indian foods, especially crispy paper dosa, which is a very thin and crispy dosa served with sambar and chutney. My trips back to Singapore are never complete without having paper dosa at least once at Little India.