Looking For Steph

I’ve compiled a list of summer food hacks that hopefully will make your summer more efficient and enjoyable. Say goodbye to the likes of watered down drinks and sticky popsicle fingers by picking up on these simple tips:

#1 Avoid diluted drinks by using ice cubes of the same liquid.

Let’s face it: we’ll need a good strong coffee to avoid melting under the scorching sun and a watered down mess isn’t going to cut it. In lieu of water, use the same liquid base as ice.

Photo credit: Flickr

#2 Upgrade your H2O

Freeze fruit, vegetables, and herbs and simply dunk them into water to create your very own detox water: it’ll flush your body of toxins and add a kick a flavour.

Photo credit: Looking for Steph

#3 Peel citrus fruits the easy way

Slice both top and bottom ends off the fruit then make a vertical incision down the middle, deep until the halfway point. Peel and unroll!

 Photo credit: Jewelpie

#4 Use cupcake holders to avoid popsicle drips

Sticky fingers = stained clothing. Enough said.

(Don’t you sometimes wish you could be a kid again so you could get away with looking like a mess? Yes, that is a ketchup stain on my shorts. Yes, I just spilled water down my front. Yes, that is dried toothpaste on my face. These things happen.)

 Photo credit: Ziploc

#5 Spiralize your sausages to insert condiments

Look at those grooves! Just when you thought you couldn’t get enough of the staple fixings of ketchup and mustard with your hot dogs, you can now insert it into the sausage itself. Plus, the meat cooks at a faster rate and the skin’s crispier. Feel free to throw some relish in there too!

Photo credit: Imgur

#6 Hollow out fruits to use as a bowl

Not only is it totally Instagram worthy, but saves you from having to clean up. Throw in fruits, yogurt, or ice cream and you’ll have yourself a refreshing treat! Some bowl substitutes include watermelon, coconuts, and melon.

Photo credit: Pinterest

#7 Avoid burger spillage

There’s no greater frustration than having the contents of your burger spill out. Turn your burger upside down as the top bun is twice as thick as the bottom and will support the fixings. It’s a better foundation and absorber of those essential leaky sauces. (Avoids staining your clothing, too).

Photo credit: Youtube

#8 Access those packed goods easier by creating snack bowls

Sometimes trying to reach that last chip is like scavenging for treasure. Plus, it’s no fun when someone hogs the entire packet at a party to rummage for crumbs either. Simply roll the bottom inwards so the snacks are pushed upward and you’ll have yourself a handy bowl for convenient access!

Photo credit: Youtube

#9 Maximize fridge storage space by using binder clips

Your refrigerator shouldn’t be stopping you from buying and consuming copious amounts of drinks simply because it isn’t big enough. Instead of buying a bottle rack, use a binder clip and clamp it onto the rack with the prongs facing downwards.

Photo credit: Flickr

#10 Scoop ice cream easier with a warmed spoon/knife

Too often does that inevitable frozen brick deform your utensils. You’ll no longer have to bend over backwards (literally, in your spoon’s case) in order to eat tubbed ice cream with this trick! Run your spoon and knife under hot water for 20 seconds, then make incisions and scoop.

Photo credit: Youtube

While you’re at it, why don’t you also try creating the magnificence that are ice cream cookie sandwiches?

Photo credit: Sandy Toes and Popsicles

Let me know if you use any of these food hacks, or share some of your own favourites down below!

[Featured on Foodie]

Sincerely,

As a self proclaimed coffee addict, I made it my mission to try their acclaimed ‘Saigon Night’ (alcohol omitted) a concoction inspired by the cocktail A Night In Florida.

SAIGON NIGHT

With a Vietnamese twist, the drink is made of drip coffee, coconut foam, vodka, and house made Kahlua. The French-style dark beans are exclusive to Viet Kitchen, sourced from the Daklak region in Central Vietnam. Without the alcohol the drink itself is still incredible; the foam is silken and creamy while the coffee’s strong and fragrant. The two taste wonderful stirred together – hints of coconut within the espresso – but it would’ve been nicer if the coconut were more prominent. ‘Saigon Night’ is the perfect balance between bitter and sweet! I recommend stirring the cream into the drink for those who prefer their coffee less strong but not as milky as a latte.

SAIGON BEEF PHO

The first dish of the night was the classic saigon beef phở. The broth itself is meticulously prepared: bones are blanched for 5 minutes to extract impurities, cooked under high pressure, and seasoned accordingly to control flavour. The U.S beef brisket and sirloin was heartily added and was of great consistency, easy to slurp down with the well-done, soft noodles. The broth was clear and flavour appropriately subtle.

LEMONGRASS CRISPY SILKEN TOFU

The lemongrass crispy silken tofu consisted of local silken tofu topped with organic cherry tomatoes and tofu croutons. The croutons were crisp and paired greatly with the tofu, that of which was perfectly crisp on the outside and silken on the inside. The tomatoes and Nuoc Cham sauce also added a refreshing kick to the dish. However, I found the sauce a bit too salty, which masked the other flavours.

CARAMEL CHICKEN WINGS

I was most excited by the caramel chicken wings – fish sauce, sugar, caramel, herbs and spices on chicken and fried? Sign me up! Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed as the caramel and sugar didn’t make it to my taste buds and was overpowered by the umami taste. However, the crispy skin and tender chicken made up for it. They are separated by the two bones making it a great appetiser, and is coupled with slices of daikon that refreshes the palate.

SALMON TARTARE

The salmon tartare was incredibly refreshing and full of flavour from various herbs. Coupled with the crispy taro chips, there was a slight saltiness that complimented with the marinated fish. The toppings of salmon roe, jicama, cucumber, and dill herbs further enhanced the freshness and accentuated the palate!

WOK-FRIED BEEF TENDERLOIN

One of my favourite dishes of the night was the wok-fried beef tenderloin. The meat was succulent and tender, with a true melt in the mouth texture and a strong distinctive flavour. The pungent flavour of the rocket and freshness of the tomato worked well to lighten the dish. The garlic bread didn’t do much for me in terms of a harmonious taste with the meat, but why would anyone complain about such crispy and fragrant pieces?

SHRIMP AND PORK RAVIOLI

I was also anxious to try the unorthodox fusion of Italian and Asian cuisine, the steamed shrimp and pork ravioli. Shrimp and pork is encased with egg yolk and drizzled with Vietnamese citrus Nuoc Cham sauce. However I couldn’t taste any egg yolk nor the citrus kick from the sauce, the shrimp itself the prominent flavour. Overall it tasted a little bland compared to their other flavoursome dishes.

GINGER GARLIC FRIED RICE

This was another favourite dish of the night; a staple but far from ordinary. It was a gorgeous bright yellow with delicious aroma, moist from the runny eggs. The classic ingredients of onion lightened the dish, and the tangy spring onion enhanced it with its undertone of bitterness. The ginger garlic fried rice was flavourful from the turmeric and egg, neither oily or dry.

BASIL MINT GELATI

Paired with the strawberry sauce, the basil mint gelati was extremely refreshing while also savoury coupled with the sesame seeds. However, I found the sauce was slightly too cloying while the sesame seeds’ distinct flavour overwhelmed the dish. Nonetheless, it was an interesting adventure for the tastebuds to switch between sweet and savoury!

VIETNAMESE AFFOGATO

The Vietnamese coffee ice cream was fantastic, silken and creamy. The espresso was sweetened with caramel condensed milk which alleviated the bitterness. The rice crispies were an interesting addition, albeit became soggy quite quickly. Rich coffee taste was evident in each scoop, while the coffee grounds adorned on top also added a nice crunch and had a lingering chocolate taste!

The interior is designed by Sean Dix, inspiration drawn by the eclectic street life of Vietnam.

Chef Peter also came out to introduce his cooking methods as well as visions for his restaurant. A truly talented and dedicated chef, Chef Peter is knowledgeable, innovative, and above all, passionate. I came out with not just a full belly on the night, but a true appreciation for Vietnamese food!

Viet Kitchen

Location: Shop G04&G06, G/F, Nexxus Building, 41 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong

Opening Hours: Mon – Sat: 11:00-22:00, Closed on Sun

Telephone: +852 2806 2068

Sincerely,

Steph

There’s no denying pictures look much more visually appealing in polaroid form – they’re framed, mini, and has that vintage-y feel to it. However, it’s difficult to capture the jaw-dropping picture in just one shot. (Seriously, how many times are you going to have to jump in order to get that perfect action photo in front of the Eiffel tower?) 

One wrong click and it’s a piece of film wasted – and those things are not cheap. Thankfully, with LALALAB (previously Polagram) you’re given 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances to snap the shot, or until your phone memory’s been used up.

I’ve personally always longed to plaster my walls with polaroids and string fairy lights up to match the generic yet oh-so-aesthetic bedrooms seen online. Given my perfectionist tendencies however, I’d probably continue to save the film until I spot the perfect shot because I wouldn’t be able to bare the thought of it being any less than flawless… thus most likely never capture anything at all. That’s why LALALAB was a lifesaver!

Using pictures directly from your camera roll, the free application (available for both iPhone and Android) makes them available for purchase in the form of:

polaroids/giftbox of 36 polaroids (10x12cm)

prints (10x10cm/10x13cm)

canvases (stretched on a wooden frame, 30×30 cm)

phone cases

photobook (26 photos, 21×21 cm)

poster (35 photos, 50x70cm)

calendar (12 photos, 20x20cm)

large prints (20x20cm/20x27cm)

postcard (10x15cm)

Prints clock in at about HKD $3 ($0.45, £0.29, €0.39), printed on glossy high quality Fujifilm crystal archive paper supreme. Unlike typical polaroids that must be stored appropriately for reasonable longevity, these prints have excellent resistance to light fade and long term dark storage. You are also given the option to print a customised caption.

I first ordered one print to test the services and it arrived on the last day of the estimated arrival date, taking 11 days as I live in Asia and the company is based in Europe. My second order (for this review), arrived in 9 days for the prints and 11 days for the canvas. They were ordered within minutes of each other. Both orders came with a beautiful piece of paper inserted with instructions on the back to create an origami animal.

The application runs very smoothly, however on the version available when this order was placed there was a kink with the gift box. It appeared as though the option to edit the photos and to add/remove them was not available to all the images selected, therefore I couldn’t edit several of them and was required to start all over having to pick the 36 again if I’d made a mistake.

The customer service is excellent, responding to inquiries through Facebook, Instagram and email. They only respond during working days (weekdays), so don’t fret if they don’t answer if you sent your message on Friday and don’t receive a response.

If you use my code PGLMJKN7, you can get £5 off your order (or 17 FREE prints)!

Visit LALALAB’s site here, their Facebook here, and their Instagram here.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Stephanie

One thing that has stuck with me immensely with Looking For Alaska was the symbolism of the labyrinth. In the novel it is a vague metaphor for life, and death meant ending the suffering (thus escaping the maze). The definition is never explicitly stated but rather sheds light on how one’s personal interpretation defines one’s character. In this case, this blog exhibits the idea of it as the human mind and life itself. I am looking for Steph: a girl often lost within her esoteric head and in reality itself.

Fast facts:

Purple’s my favourite colour

Greek mythology fascinates me

If I had a collection of anything, it would be notebooks (and shoes… and handbags…)

I’d love to skydive one day

I use Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom CC to edit

Posts will consist of:

Guides/tips

Reviews

Personal musings

Advice

Informative articles

If you would like to experience the highs and lows of life with me, follow this blog!

You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram if you’re up for a chat, or just in need of a shoulder to cry on after watching a series finale (trust me, I understand). If you have any inquiries or collaboration requests, please contact me at: [email protected]!

Sincerely,