Raleigh IW Camp

I had a very special weekend. One that I would never want to forget, not in a million years. I think I owe it to Raleigh International to convince as many people as possible to take part in their camps because it is that incredible!

A little about Raleigh International before I proceed with a brief summary of my weekend. Basically, Raleigh international runs expeditions in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Borneo, and Tanzania. Their expeditions would normally consists of 10 weeks of living with nothing but nature and doing community projects. It can be pretty hardcore, I must admit, which is why they also organise Introduction Weekend camps every few months to expose interested people to what their expeditions are like.

I took part in their most recent one - October 2012.

I cant really go too deep into what we did, where we were, how our lives were like, because everything is meant to be kept as a surprise for the participants. Perhaps it is to keep us participants ready for any surprises or challenges that come our way when we are least prepared.

But if you are the adventurous sort, this is really the camp for you. If you check out their website and like the idea of going for expeditions, do give this Introduction Weekend a try. I heard there will be another one in December.

I didnt enjoy it like how I enjoy tasting desserts and going for food trips, but that doesnt mean that I didnt enjoy it. This is the kind of camp that gave me chunks of what life can be like without all those high tech stuff and allowed me to be reminded of how beautiful nature can be. It is like the fresh blast of water gushing down from the waterfall - both dangerous and fun, and of course, very refreshing. I enjoyed the company of my new-found friends because we worked as a team - ate together, worked together, played together, slept together, even.

And post-camp, as I type this, I miss the brief weekend I had and know for sure that Raleigh has indeed changed a part of my life by reminding me of how important nature is.

Crazy Random Day

Such an incredible day that began from 4am. Breakfast at Seapark, coffee at SS2, temple visiting in Brickfields and hiking up Thean Hou temple before an early buffet vegetarian lunch in Brickfields. I wish I could write more but I really have too much to write with so little time. Also had cramps after that, which left me unable to move the rest of the day. Tomorrow I might be going off for camp for a few days (no phone, no internet, no whatsoever). So yea you can imagine.. let's hope i aint overdoing meself! 

Double Chocolate Mousse Tart

Here's a quick blog entry before I proceed with finishing off everything else I need to do. So, I havent baked in a while. And because I bought a huge carton of whipped cream months ago with my own pocket money and didnt use it yet, I decided I couldnt let it go to waste. I always love mousse and making this was the epitome of my dream dessert.  

Got the recipe from taste.com.au and the initial recipe required a chocolate biscuit base. But because my mom had never tried a golden base before, I thought I would change it for her sake. Turned out pretty ok too, heh. 

I love the ganache layer... NEVER omit it out!

Double Chocolate Mousse Tart

Biscuit base:

250g digestive biscuits

125g butter, melted

Chocolate ganache:

100g dark chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup whipping cream

Chocolate mousse:

200g dark chocolate, chopped

1 tsp vanilla

600ml whipping cream

A pinch of gelatin

1. Grease a 9 inch round spring-form pan. Line base with baking paper. 

2. Place biscuits and flour in a processor. Process until finely chopped. 

3. Add butter. Process until combined. 

4. Press mixture evenly over base of prepared pan. 

5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

6. To make chocolate ganache, place chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 - 4 minutes or until smooth. Pour over biscuit base. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.

7. To make chocolate mousse, place chocolate, vanilla and half the cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat. 

8. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth. Remove from heat and let it cool for 15 minutes. 

9. Using an electric mixer, beat remaining cream until soft peaks form. 

10. Fold chocolate mixture into cream. 

11. Gently pour over ganache layer. Refrigerate overnight.

So that's all for today. My life is revolving very fast these few weeks. It's probably the fastest I ever have had to endure. But I will survive, just like I always do. 

Waffles For A Day

Barely half of my day has passed and it has already been so fulfilling (though exhausting)! Last night, I downed god knows how many SMALL cups of Carlsberg beer with my buddies. But hey, that is not the highlight of my blog entry today!

BGF organised a Food and Fun Fair today at SJK Yuk Chai. The purpose of this event is to raise funds to build a new BGF centre at Ara Damansara, if i am not mistaken. There was a food section and fun section but of course, with my tendency to gravitate to food, I volunteered to help out with the food section. And that was the best decision I made today.

Met this man with the waffle machine so I asked him if he needed help to man his stall, in which he then taught me how to make waffles with the machine. OH YEAAA~ So I made waffles non-stop from 9am to like 3pm. And the response to the waffles were very good. He didnt just sell plain old waffles but also waffle sausages. Waffles with sausage on a stick. Those got a very good response from people. That man was actually a waffle equipment supplier or something like that.. but he nevertheless impressed me with his waffle-making skills as well as his good nature. He was very different from the usual traders in the sense that he was not too much of an opportunistic. He was very honest in his work and did not get pissed off when people made mistakes. There was even a kid who wanted to eat a waffle sausage when those ran out and he actually pursued the kid with a sausage. I found that very touching and nice of him.

So yea, there goes half my day. I still have a long way to go. Needa take a break for a while before going off for dinner with some friends. And there is my assignment to do. And my project paper. Oh and.. all those tutorials. OMG!  

Taman Sari Brasserie @ Hotel Istana

Well the past few weeks have been tiring, it has been a long marathon that has tested my stamina and still is. I started this semester thinking that I will be free-er than before but I am almost on the verge of a burn out right now. Well doesnt matter, everything will sort itself out in good time. 

Went for a International Buffet Dinner at Taman Sari in Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur. I have finally completed one term of Vice Editor of VOX Magazine. But seriously, credit should be given to N, not me. 

Heard that each person costs RM91.50. But then again, the choices of food was pretty extensive and service was very warm. There was a salad counter, bread counter, rice and staples (which included ravioli!), desserts, ice-kacang, lassi, and.. and a whole wide range of rotis and meat cooked Malay style. There was also some BBQ food outside - the sausage was very nice, big and juicy.. It is my regret that I did not take the pictures of more desserts up close nor did I take that many pictures at all..  

Bread counter. Really tempted to try the various types of bread but was pretty full. 

The various sorts of rotis. Delicious!

Look at all that fish curry.. And those are the rotis in the background.

Desserts.. always my favourite. Cupcakes are pretty but flavour wise not that great. Tiramisu was satisying. Cant really expect five star desserts in a buffet. But looks-wise, it can be a winner. 

Wont rank the food here as the best but the scenery of the garden outside is quite nice and the service is heartwarming. There was this waiter that kept checking up on our needs to made sure we were all well-fed and happy. 

A snapshot of the outside. Pity it was raining. 

All in all, buffets are always fun. Hope the best for the new Editorial team.. 

Now, if only I could get a quick rest before resuming my endless work! 

This is the place to go if..

You have a bottomless stomach that particularly enjoys Malay and Asian food. They had 10 different condiments for the ice-kacang! 

Taman Sari Brasserie

Hotel Istana

73 Jalan Raja Chulan

50200 Kuala Lumpur

03-21419988

Alexis @ Bangsar Shopping Complex

I have only been to Alexis a few times in my life. The first, would be for a casual dinner with a friend in which I have described my dining experience here. But it was always at The Gardens, and never at BSC. This time round, my buddies and I dropped by BSC's Alexis for a place to hang out and chit chat, while waiting for dinner time to arrive. J ordered three slices of cake for everyone of us to try. 

Well, there is no need for an introduction to Alexis' ever famous Tiramisu cake (with cognac!) as well as the Mixed-fruit meringue which I introduced in my previous entry on Alexis. The environment and cakes in BSC was pretty much the same as The Gardens. But I noted that the cakes did not taste its best - it would have tasted better if they were better chilled. 

The Tiramisu (RM15) tasted as great as before with the slight alcohol flavour in the cream part of the cake. HL was crazy about the nuts. 

Mixed Fruit meringue (RM15). Another popular choice. If I have not mentioned it before, I must mention it now.. I would pick the mixed fruit meringue over the pavlova any day! Meringues, by nature are very sweet and chewy. Alexis' Pavlova therefore, have a very very sweet and crusty bottom but bland top. The Mixed-fruit meringue, however, is the perfect remedy for their Pavlova. Using almost the same meringue and ingredients, they split the 'pavlova' into two so that the sweetness of the crusty meringue is evenly distributed from top to bottom. (I hope my description gets the message across!) So while the mixed-fruit meringue is sweet, it is well balanced with the smooth cream and sour berries with each bite, whether you choose to attack this beauty of a cake from top or bottom. I love this creation.. though I would only advise it for people who can take both extremes of sweet (meringue) and sour (berries).

Then, J ordered another slice of cake - the Zuccotto Dome (RM12.50). It had a very curious design.. dome-shaped with chopped nuts sprinkled on top. The cake is fluffy and there is chocolate mousse with chocolate cream chip at the heart of the cake. I think this cake is special for its unique shape, so you may try it for something a little more fancy. 

So we had these three slices of cake that day. Each with a distinct personality. 

Tiramisu for classical and sophisticated. It is a simple cake with depth and topped with a beautiful topping of caramelised crushed nuts. Any one who loves a little tinge of alcohol in their cake would love this.

Mixed-fruit meringue is for the sweet tooth. But of course, you will have to accept the extremely sour berries that come along with it!

And finally the Zuccotto Dome which is for any one who is attracted to its special design. Can just give it a try. Taste isnt too shabby either! :)

This is the place to go if..

As mentioned in my previous review, I maintain my stand that Alexis is the perfect place for teatime. Lovely cakes, and lovely tea sets. This time, I ordered Ginger Lemongrass tea (RM15) which came with a small pot of honey. 

Alexis 

Lot 15A 1st Floor

Bangsar Shopping Centre

Bukit Bandaraya

59100 Kuala Lumpur

03-22871388