Marie Kondo has been all the rage recently.

Perhaps it's after her show on Netflix. Perhaps it's a start-of-year thing. It's something that's been on my mind at the end of the year - even before I knew who Marie Kondo was - as I looked at all the shopping I had amassed from the year end.

I have to pack my stuff, I thought. Clear out my closet so I can start wearing the new stuff I've bought, instead of constantly wearing the same things that may not fit that well anymore, but I still wear and keep because they ain't broken.

I'm a hoarder. I admit.

I keep stuff - from those with sentimental value, to random freebies and souvenirs I get from conferences. But I also keep the stuff that I buy. I stash them, and the irony is that I often buy all these nice new expensive, good quality stuff (e.g. skincare, makeup, ...handbags) and I can't bear to use them and ruin them. And in the case of makeup, I end up using the cheap stuff freely, instead of using the stuff I spent a shitton of money on, and by the time I get around to realising I ought to use it, it's almost gone bad.

I have a whole stash of new makeup, skincare, clothes waiting to be used. Why? I'm forcing myself to face the harsh truths here:

1. I probably love shopping and good deals (fine. I think I'm a shopaholic.)
2. I hoard, keep, and can't bear to use stuff
3. I find it hard to throw stuff out. If it ain't broken, and still works, why do you need to replace it?
   And yet..I'm always buying new stuff that ends up not getting used

It's a vicious, toxic cycle.

I don't just need to pack. I need to declutter. Myself, my mind, from my usual way of life and habits.

The exterior is often a reflection of what's within.

Taking a step back, I'm busy all the time. Running from place to place, task to task. I'm naturally curious, inquisitive, always filled with so many ideas in my head. I hardly take time to reflect, think, and clear my mind.

My behaviour with my physical spaces and worldly possessions is, to some extent, a reflection of my mind. I haven't read Marie Kondo's book yet, but I'm adding it to my list. Because I'm confident that the exercise of KonMari-ing my physical spaces is simply a symbolic, practical way of tackling the bigger elephant in the room and decluttering what really needs to be decluttered - my mind.

Let's break it down and draw parallels:

KonMari Method:

1. Gather all your belongings, one category at a time
2. Keep only the things that spark joy
3. Find a place for everything from then on

Your life, your mind:

1. Think of your priorities. Your life. All the things you do
2. Which of these are actually important to you? What matters most?
3. Reflect, reorganise, reprioritise. Always keep the big picture in mind

Over time, things start to pile up in our physical spaces, our wardrobes, our rooms. And we've got go through the exercise again.

The same for our minds. Life goes on, things happen, we get busy. Unlike the physical clutter that sits before us, sometimes we don't realise our minds are, too, getting cluttered. 

It's alright that the clutter develops. What's more important is that we recognise it, and take time to declutter. To reflect, to think. Take a break if you need to, recharge, and emerge rejuvenated and continue doing the great things you were built for.

If there's anything I've learnt in the past few years, is that sometimes we just get busy being busy and time passes us by before know it. And it takes a major shake-up or a viral sensation like Marie Kondo, or just a simple timely conversation to make us take a step back and look at the big picture.

We might need to make decluttering our minds regular and systematic - perhaps in the form of a weekly/monthly journal, meditation or reflection. Or perhaps in the form of timely reminders, conversations and check-ins. Create me-time for yourself. It's something I'm admittedly terrible at, but recognising the problem is often the first step to the solution and making change.

And me being here is a step in that direction. :)

And so, I'll Marie Kondo my life - soon. And also finally finish writing about red rice wine.

Continue reading

Share:

I used to be slightly intimidated by the term "fermentation". It gave the impression that something had gone bad. Or that it was a really complex process that you had to control carefully to ensure nothing goes bad.

If you break things down, things are often not as complicated as they seem.

I've been brewing red rice wine (and we're cooking red rice wine chicken for dinner right now as we speak) and kombucha and gotten several questions about it consistently. I'm no expert, but I thought, why not shed some light on these fermented foods?

What is fermentation?

Let's consult Wikipedia:
"In the context of food production, it is the process of converting carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids using microorganisms."
Source: Wikipedia

In simpler terms, it's a chemical process, aided by yeasts and bacteria, that alters the structure of food.

It's a commonly used technique used to produce things ranging from:
1. Alcoholic beverages (beer, wine)
2. Dairy products (cheese, yogurt). It's also used to preserve food - for example in
3. Vegetables (kimchi, sauerkraut)
4. Bread - sourdough bread is also considered to be a 'fermented' food
5. Condiments and sauces (miso, soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, etc)
6. Kombucha and kefir
7. A range of beans, grains (e.g. natto is fermented soybean)
8. Fruits, aromatic vegetables (black garlic!)

Really, the possibilities are endless.

Why ferment?

Fermentation has become somewhat of a buzzword lately, with kombucha and "healthy probiotic drinks" being all the rage, and the recent release of the Noma Guide to Fermentation. But really, it's a technique that's been around for ages and is more common than you might think - the old housewives in Korea and Germany have been doing it for ages. But why?

1. Preservation
These fermented foods have a long shelf life and provide a source of nutrients in winter where fresh vegetables were hard to come by and/or prohibitively expensive - we see a slight correlation in cultures/countries where fermented vegetables were commonly consumed and harsh winters!

2. Health Benefits
Fermented foods have been said to be filled with "healthy bacteria" and "probiotics" - purportedly good for your gut health, and may improve digestion, immunity, and promote weight loss.

3. Because it's Delicious
Fermentation takes time - the ingredients slowly break down chemical reactions happen (I swear I really did major in Science in College), and in the process, a unique depth of flavour develops that you can't achieve in any other way. You can have it as the main dish, or use it as a sauce/ingredient/marinade to completely elevate the flavour.

4. Street Cred and Party Pleasing
I admit I started on kombucha partly because it was all the rage (yes I do yoga and brew kombucha..). I've been told by someone that he brings kombucha to potlucks because it's simple, easy, inexpensive, always party pleasing and unique (damn that person who decides to bring kombucha as well..).

5. Easy way to get into the kitchen
Without actually having to cook. It's a great way for those who don't (know how to) cook, or for those (like myself) who are often too busy in the day-to-day to cook as much as they would like, to get into the kitchen (somewhat).

Some ferments are higher maintenance than others - some, like sauerkraut, you can leave for >30 days without touching. Some, like kefir you have to "look after" daily. I once said "people have pets, I have red rice wine and kombucha". I also recall I once got home pretty late after a team event and was still fermenting at 3am because if I didn't, my kefir may overgrow.

Over time, the Mother grows and you have some to give away to your friends.. +1 to street cred

So you only did it for the street cred. It does sound cool. But...how do I do this at home?

It sounds intimidating, but trust me it's not. If the old grandmas can do it, so can you! (Then again, grandmas can do everything). There are slightly different techniques for each, and I'll probably cover some of these in separate posts - here are some fundamentals.

Basic principles
1. You often add salt or sugar & water to what you're trying to ferment, and a fermentation starter (also known as a "mother" / starter dough) in some cases, which contains the yeasts/bacteria that do the magic for you - adding it kick-starts the process

• Some foods (e.g. pickled vegetables, sauerkraut) typically don't require a starter as it can rely on the bacteria in the environment - you add salt, water (i.e. a brine) to your vegetable of choice ("lacto-fermentation")
• Theoretically you could leave out a starter for some of the other ferments but you may have to wait really, really long

2. Fermentation cultures have living organisms (yeast / bacteria) and need food (hence the sugar, and water) and suitable living conditions (keep them at room temperature - ~25 degrees is ideal) to propagate and stay healthy.

• Too hot, and you kill them off
• Too cold, and they get inactivated - you can however chuck stuff in the fridge if you're trying to slow down the process (e.g. you can store your kefir in the fridge if you're travelling so they don't keep growing)

3. Whilst these conditions are ideal for your "good stuff" to thrive, it's also ideal for potential contaminants. Hence, it's important to keep all your bottles, utensils and the like clean and dry - free from water, as that's a breeding ground for bacteria / yeast.

4. No two ferments will ever be completely the same - especially for a home fermenter. It's hard to say what is right or wrong, Trust your intuition - rely on look, taste, smell to determine if something is done. If you're ever unsure, there are tons of communities online (Facebook, Instagram) - take a photo, ask for advice, before you throw your hard work out. You can reach out to me as well!

This is non-exhaustive, and I'm no expert, but these are the quick facts to getting started. There are no hard and fast rules. So give it a try, experiment, and see what happens! And let me know how it goes :)

Red rice wine: to be continued

I started out intending on writing about red rice wine (including how to make it), but this ended up becoming wayy too long; I'll split it into 2 posts. Still working on that tl;dr..

In the meantime, here's a plug for a friend of mine who's organising a Fermentation Workshop Part II on Jan 19 at Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre (after a highly successful one in Dec) - join if you're keen! Info here.

Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre? What?!
Did you know? NEA has a Vibrant Hawker Centre Programme that "aims to encourage the public to “adopt” the hawker centres and organise community-centric programmes/activities regularly over a sustained period to increase its vibrancy and encourage greater public ownership of our hawker centres."
Source: NEA website

There's also a Incubation Stall Programme that "provides eligible aspiring hawkers an opportunity to take up an incubation stall to try out what it is like being a hawker".

Pretty neat stuff, right?

Continue reading

Share:

Just like you said it would be.

Third time's the charm. 

It's been 1 year and 4 months since I had the first idea to start this.

I wrote a couple of things. Then life got in the way.

6 months ago, I was inspired to kickstart this again, and I quipped how it'd been 10 months since the first time, wrote something, and life came by again.

6 months later, look where we're at again.

Has it ever happened to you? You say you'd like to do something, then you get busy. You go on doing your other things. You get busier. Rinse, repeat.

And all of a sudden, boom, you're stuck at this place looking back at all the time that has passed.

I don't believe in New Years' Resolutions - I don't ever make them. But a few days ago, I posted yet another Instagram stories post that was really just a hidden blogpost. And I thought to myself, gosh, I need an outlet for all these thoughts.

And so, here I am, trying this again.

I leave you with the original post, dated Sep 23 2017.

It's a long read, and I promise later posts will be more concise - the past year has taught me a lot about tl;dr - if you'll join me on this Journey, Storytelling through Food.

Note: not everything still holds true; life has changed since then ;) Feedback, suggestions and CSAT are greatly welcome.

---

"And so it is."

Originally written Sep 23 2017

Where do I begin?

It all started a fine Friday evening a few weeks ago. I was baking Lemon Tea Custard bread and thought to myself, "aaah, if only I could do this all day. That would be The Life." That sparked off a lengthy thought process and a few short, but important conversations.

I love food. Cooking, baking, eating. I enjoy the multi-sensory experience - food is enjoyed with all 5 senses, not just taste. I don't just eat to live; I live to eat. I'm always looking forward to my next meal, always on the hunt for interesting new eats - new places and concepts; innovative flavours, tastes and dishes. Good food puts me in a great mood. I'm passionate about food.

I'm idealistic and I like to think that if you truly love what you do, work won't feel like work. It's important to me that I love what I do. We should spend our time pursuing something that truly inspires us, that motivates us to keep going and challenge ourselves.

This got me thinking - perhaps exploring something food-related would be worth considering. Cooking is an art; it's a form of expression; it's a universal language. A chef's character comes out through his food. It's a tool he or she can harness to share ideas - on flavours, concepts, inspirations, memories, and so much more - with the world. One of the most impactful and also mind-blowingly delicious dishes I've had was a dessert named "My favourite childhood memory" by Chef Jason Tan at Corner House.

2018 comment: gosh, this was in Nov 2016. I had a note that says "<describe dish here>" and I can..barely remember what it was. Yes apparently it was my birthday.

We were told to try each component separately, then eat it all together. The sweet and savoury came together perfectly (I also absolutely love gula melaka) - it was like an explosion of flavours in the mouth and pretty mindblowing how the combination worked - but we weren't huge fans of the meringue and felt it didn't add much to the dish.

We thought it was a delicious end to an already great meal. But after the meal, on our way out, we happened to meet Chef Jason who offered us a ride out on the buggy as it was a long walk (..we were also the last ones to leave and were probably holding him up from going home, oops!). We politely declined as we wished to take a stroll through the Gardens, but told him we loved his food - it was so unique, the flavours were clean, fresh and came together in a way very different from other fine dining establishments. He described his style as "gastrobotanical" - he believes in bringing out the flavours of the fresh ingredients through his dishes, conceptualisations and intepretations.

And then we talked about the dessert.
"At the breakfast table, there's always kaya and peanut butter. Sweet and savoury. You always have to decide which to eat. But I always thought, why not eat both together? And so I always spread both on my bread." And suddenly it all made sense. The meringue represented the bread. The pandan ice cream, the kaya. And that delicious gula melaka spread on the plate (which I mopped up all of) and crunchy delicious nibs (you know those delicious morsels of stuff you always see in plated desserts that you have no idea what it is but it's so delicious you eat it all? Yep, those.) - the peanut butter. "Eat it all together". That was his favourite childhood memory.

That was the first time I felt I could truly relate to a dish. Most interesting food in Singapore circa 2016 weren't from local chefs and whilst I enjoy their food, there's sometimes a disconnect as many flavours are new, unfamiliar. But this was familiar. Comforting. I felt that I understood. That made the dish even more mindblowing, and brought my enjoyment of the dish and entire meal, experience to the next level.

Thinking back, that was also probably the first time I truly understood what storytelling through food meant, and was pivotal in shaping how I view dining as an experience, not just to fill the tummy. (In the hustle and bustle of my day to day life, unfortunately that's often what meals become though..) 

Anyway, back to the point. I came to realise food is something I'm truly passionate about. What else am I passionate about? Driving change, creating positive impact, making a difference. Always challenging myself and always improving. These are certainly not mutually exclusive. I've been encouraging a friend who's similarly passionate about both food and coffee to open his own restaurant or cafe in the future. He can continue to experiment with flavours and explore concepts, and share these with the world. Diners. To create happy experiences and memories. Perhaps we could open a joint venture together in the far far future, I thought. Since I still have a long way to go in terms of levelling up my baking and cooking skills if I ever wanted to do anything. Dreams for when we are successful and can do whatever we want. I parked that idea aside, and got swept up into everything else again.

2018 fun fact: I happened to show said friend this post, and he quoted this section, instantly recognising himself :')
Fun fact 2: I still have a long way to go in levelling up my skills. Not much progress there.

A few weeks later, I attended the "Great Women of our Time 2017" forum organised by Women's Weekly. A key theme was, how do you keep going in spite of everything?

2 things: purpose, and priorities. Know your purpose, and ensure your priorities fit that purpose.

The keynote speaker mentioned she wants to create positive impact. That really resonated with me. What was my purpose? Where do I see myself down the road? Is what I'm doing now going to get me there?

This, along with having the opportunity to meet so many young, inspirational and successful women led me to comment to a friend, "#whatamidoingwithmylife?"

"You are doing fine," he said. "Path to success is different for everyone, or even what success means."

"Perhaps you could be the first person to discover the recipe to a fat-free guilt free cake and you are no less a formidable force!"

That got me thinking. That'd be pretty awesome. I always struggle with my love for desserts and the sinfulness of it all. It would be a great idea to explore more healthy bakes. I told this friend my thoughts around doing something food related and that his comment was giving me all sorts of ideas. Perhaps it would be something to explore. "Yesss! You have a great palate and you have a talent in telling stories about food. Most importantly, you derive so much joy through it!"

He was absolutely right. We just had a cocoa beetroot avocado vegan cake in the office the previous day which was absolutely delicious and I allowed myself two slices because it was that good, and I believed it was healthy. In addition, whilst I loved the cake (along with my colleague who is even more into Wellness than I am, and another who is going vegan and whom we bought this cake for as it was her birthday), responses from everyone else ranged from "it's interesting.." to only eating one bite of it for a taste. Almost everyone was extremely skeptical before eating it and I daresay felt it would never compare to a "normal" cake even before tasting it.

Despite the increasing awareness of the need for "Wellness" and a wholesome, healthy diet, many have the conception that healthy foods are bland and not tasty. That salads are not filling. Which is most certainly not true - the "CBD style protein salads" like Daily Cut and Omnivore serve huge servings that make me food coma all the time. The sous vide chicken breast from Wafuken was literally THE most tender and delicious chicken breast I'd eaten in my life up till that point.

There are so many misconceptions about food.

About "healthy food", about "expensive food" and "fine dining", just to name a few.

There are also so many ideas, concepts, techniques to be explored around food, that many don't know or realise simply because we don't think about it.

I freaked out on a friend yesterday because he said something to the effect that a sponge cake and chiffon cake were the same thing. They are not!

Americano vs Long Black. Same same but different. Did you know?

How can we change these preconceptions and shift mindsets, to better equip the average person with knowledge on these things, such that they can ultimately how to treat (and feed) themselves and their bodies better? This will improve their lives, create positive impact and drive change. It is challenging to shift these mindsets. And it is centered around food. If all fails, at least we can share fun facts that'd interest them?

I'm always sharing (and spamming) good eats on Instagram / Stories - when the food is good, I feel the need to share this with my friends because it's so good, THEY HAVE TO TRY IT TOO. Good things must share, right?

Storytelling through food.

That sounded like the perfect idea. I had a completely random but throughly enjoyable and thought-provoking conversation with a good friend where I happened to bring up the food thing. She asked if I was interested in food writing but I'd brushed it off. Nahh, writing for a magazine and stuff ain't for me, I thought. But I never thought about it from the angle of storytelling through food.

And so that's what brought me here.

To be honest, I'm not yet sure what the value proposition of this is yet (yes, I am was a consultant after all - it's a work hazard!). Am I going to write about healthy eating? Am I going to debate about the same same but different things in food that most people don't care about? Or am I going to post food reviews? Probably a combination of it all. But why do we need another food blog? There's already so many out there. They all provide similar offerings with limited differentiation (consultant speak again).

This is not yet another food blog.

This, I promise. I bring a differentiated value proposition with my (attempt at) witty writing and will aim to increase awareness of all things food related - concepts, techniques, ingredients, and of course, the latest restaurants - and about the world and life, as I eat my way through.

A little bit of everything - life is about balance. Balance is one of the keys to overall wellness and leading a happier, fulfilling life. It's embodied in omtonom - by now, I'm sure you've thought, "what the damn hell is this random amalgamation of letters - omtonom?! How do I even read that?!" Along with food, yoga is a huge part of my life.

Yoga has made me a lot more aware, of everything. Of myself, of what's around me, of what's holding me, of what I need to be more mindful and aware of.

I practice yoga because I love how it makes me feel - both physically and mentally, and it's also how I shifted from a couch potato who didn't exercise at all to someone who tries to do yoga "all day erryday". It's that little bit of exercise I do, which helps to burn off some of those calories from all my desserts and noms.

I om so I can nom.

I don't claim to know it all, and I struggle with Balance and Wellness myself. But hey; I'm embarking on this journey of storytelling through food and omming to nom, to achieve better balance and wellness for myself, and I hope you can join me in this journey and that there will be positive impact created for you :)

And so it begins.

Continue reading

Share: