Bride means cook

As I learnt during my bridal shower, “bride” in old English means cook. So how has this newly married fulfilled her “cooking responsibilities” so far?
Taking stock of the days and months, it’s surprising that it’s been only close to 3 months. But my sister would probably say that I’ve cooked more in these 3 months than the last 3 years. Hahhaha…

So just a quick run-down of my cooking excursions so far (sorry no pictures!)-

Prawn Paste chicken wings – baked! Wings lovers may turn their nose on this, but I’m telling you chicken wings can be baked to crisp perfection when you have a master baker (me! :p )- and with sufficient time to allow the wings to soak in the marinade, you don feel that you’ll be missing out much on the unhealthy batter. I’m slowly getting there, it’s a skill to know when to turn up the heat, when to flip each wing over, how golden brown should the perfect wing be. *smackin licious!*

Buffalo wings – Likewise, baked to golden perfection- it’s the healthier cousin of what they serve in Hooters. I’ve made it twice, and am still perfecting the sauce. It’s getting better I think, but I’ve gotta go out there to eat more of these before I can decide how I best like my Buffalo wings to taste.

Chocolate cupcakes with fudge center – It turned out pretty well actually, and honestly I think cupcakes are a lot easier to make and serve than a huge cake in a big cake tin. It was a pleasant surprise to see the cupcakes shrink from the sides of the metal tin tray so nicely- don have to worry about getting the cake out of the cake tin and not breaking it.
And these lovely little things are easy to make a hole in to pour the fudge in. It was a simple experiment, that I think I’m gonna be more adventurous with. Raspberry sauce, hot fudge, white chocolate sauce seeping out of a warm moist chocolate cupcake- anyone?

Burritos – It’s one of Arthur’s favorite foods, and Taco Bell in Singapore is expensive and sucks in his opinion. So I have to try my hands at making this Mexican dish for my darling. Its pretty easy honestly- hamburger (or what we would call mince) browned with taco seasoning, wrapped in a warm tortilla skin with refried beans, shredded cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and top it up with some salsa- there you have it! Serve it with some tortilla chips, and it’s an authentic Mexican home-cooked meal.

Shabu Shabu @ home – I love Shabu Shabu. Between 7 to 12, we used to have it almost every Sunday at our favorite Japanese restaurant in Tanglin Shopping Centre, at a very affordable price. Ever since it closed down and broke our hearts, the alternatives were grotesquely expensive. So having been starved of Shabu Shabu for so long, have decided to make this Japanese hot pot at home.
The soup is easy- boil it with the thick Japanese seaweed, and you’ll have a nice clear broth. It’s about the ingredients and sauces really- don save on these! Get good cuts of shabu shabu beef, lots of nice golden mushrooms, big white cabbage, the special sauce for dipping the veggies in and the sesame based sauce for the meats. What I need to remember to hunt for next round are the thick Japanese noodles. Any suggestions where?

Tommorrow, will be trying my hands at Thai Pineapple rice and Kai Yang chicken tomorrow. Have made the former many times, so it’s the Kai Yang chicken that’s making me a little excited. Hope it turns out well!!