Black Magic Kitchen

I LOVE my colleagues. I love them so much, we have periodic get togethers that are sometimes so spontaneous and for little reason at all except we just want to see each other. We especially have dinners with each other in order to catch up on business and have a yuk or two before we get back to our own lives and jobs. 

We even GYM together. That, is real love. 

Tonight was our regularly scheduled meeting and we arranged it at the Kitchen Table at W Hotel on Sentosa. I had never been before, so i knew i was in for a real treat. I had an absolute BALL exploring the other Starwood properties (like The Dining Room at Sheraton Towers, and Les Brasserie des Saveurs in St. Regis) and this one would be no exception.

My husband and I walked into a room that was elegantly furnished, and a gorgeous buffet in stations were dotted about the room. Imagine my surprise when the first station I stumble across is the dessert station - my favorite! I figured they knew i was coming so placed it strategically there.

Dessert, anyone?

Averting my eyes, I quickly found my group already seated at our table, and the hijinks ensued. Oli Pettigrew and (MTV Asia VJ) Alan Wong looked like they were going on a date as they intensely discussed the latest happenings in XBoxland,

... or cell phone.

and Mohini Sule and Angelique Teo were busily getting acquainted over a conversation that had started the day before at an event 4/5 of us attended. I took in that moment - as i always do - a snapshot in my memory of being in the company of such extraordinary, accomplished and driven entrepreneurs, that i am always humbled in their presence. This was going to be a great evening - as it always is.

Yes, there is a kitchen table on the ceiling.

Thankfully the spell was broken by the rumbling in my tummy and Mohini seconded that she was starving. And like a plague of hungry ants we descended on the picnic that was the buffet. 

As everyone broke for the sushi station, i busied myself with studying the decor, and it was Oli and Angel who noticed with some delight, that the decor on the ceiling was of kitchen tables - hence the name. The lighting was cozy, the scent of fresh hot food was in the air, and there was no stopping the tucking in that was happening.

The sushi station had a delectable array of choices that were freshly prepared by a chef. Mohini dove into the hot station first with cream of mushroom soup and bread, and Angel and I found the sun dried tomato and olive dips. Yum! 

The boys made it to the meat station and the noodles station before we all suddenly realized mid-slurp that we were indeed there for a business meeting - I'm not lying - we literally had to distract ourselves from the food to begin.

Business and dinner - a great combination.

So all the old business was first, then the new business we had to plow thru because the boys were losing their focus with all the food and jokes to be had, so meeting quickly adjourned and it was back to what we all had clocked on the way in: the dessert buffet. But not before sampling the tandoor station - fresh garlic naan anyone? Don't mind if we do!

This was an array of lovely offerings, from cookies to cheesecake (yum!) and a highlight was the clever and whimsical "mush-choux" which was a profiterole on a stick set in a garden display. Cute and delicious!

Introducing: the "mush-choux". Super cute and delicious!

And we finished the night off with some evening drinks and a sit down outside to enjoy the warm night air that was over the bay that night. Angelique with her cappuccino and Mohini and I with our moroccan mint tea - finished off our evenings perfectly.

Nightcap. Cheers!

SPG Triple Benefits:

Tasteful savings. Enjoy 15% discount on food when you join us for lunch or dinner.

On the house. Raise your glass and enjoy a complimentary glass of house wine with your meal any day of the week. Cheers!

Group up. Tell your friends: enjoy a meal with six or more guests and get an additional 10% off the total food bill. Party on.

HURRY! SPG Member Triple Benefits ENDS Sept 30!!! Three exclusive perks when you dine at any of the 6 participating restaurants in the 3 properties: St. Regis, W Hotel, and Sheraton Towers!

But if you are traveling, fear not! There are over 336 participating restaurants and bars in Asia! Just check your member details to find out where!

WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU AREN'T A MEMBER YET?!

Go HERE and rectify this immediately!

Thank you W Hotel, for letting us live it up! #SPGLIFE

Dining with kids is a wild card affair.

You never know if they are going to be on their best behavior, where others are commenting on what little angels they are - and of course you take pride and ownership of that with a little, "yeah, i know it! I did that!" kind of bravado.

See? Little angels, right?

Then there are days where they decide to spill the soup on the table, stand up, sit down, knock the chairs over, get in the way of service staff as you chase them down, and end up standing on the table with one foot in the ice cream and the other foot in your salad while they scream/sing the pledge of allegiance to the god of anarchy. 

Yes, parents have all had days like this. And if you haven't - let your kid out of the basement once in a while and let them build some character! If nothing else, it makes for hilarious stories as they become adults and are trying to bring their girl/boyfriend home to meet you.

Now - back to my experience at The Dining Room in Sheraton Towers. My kids were somewhere in the middle of the above scenarios. I was running late to our reservation, and i told my husband to go ahead and meet us there. I was doing my best to keep my calm in the parking lot that traffic had made most of the roads at that time, while my kids decided it was the best time to ask me existential questions like, "What does this song mean?" for the umpteenth time. I was really just trying to drown out their bickering with the volume up on the radio. Boy, did THAT backfire.

Anyway, my kids had every reason to be excited. They rarely get to leave the house after 6p b/c of a regimented schedule designed to have them happy and eager for school the next morning. But they were seeing lights and darkness and it was like injecting them with caffeine. "But maaa! Everything looks so... different!" 

Yeah yeah. As luck would have it, we decided it was a good time to check out more of what our Triple Benefits as SPG Members could get us as we made our booking for The Dining Room. And we invited my best friend Zurina and her two darling children to join us.

As soon as i walked up the stairs and into the restaurant, i felt my nerves ease. The ambiance was calm, the lighting gorgeous, and a huge waterfall was in the background. My kids were quiet, and we were in awe for just a still moment. The sound of water trickling, and light music was somewhere in the distance... and it made us take a deep sigh. Ahhhh!

Little devils ignore waterfall. It messes with their destructive streak.

We were all shown to our seats: 3 adults and 4 kids. And a sumptuous buffet was lined up to our immediate right. The kids sat down and we all got juices or water, then we took turns with the kids inspecting the courses on offer. 

Well, the kids wandered aimlessly. 

Every night has a theme, and tonight was local delights. You saw mutton curry, chicken rice, and fruit rojak to name just a few. A roast pig somehow made it onto my plate - yum! As well as a lovely assortment of raw veggies for salad. I found chinese style meats and helped my son to some of the chicken rice. My daughter ate EVERYTHING i gave her, but her favorite was the prawns. I had to go back twice for those.

Chicken rice is a-ok!

The beauty of a buffet with kids is that - there are no wait times. My kids were hungry, and instant gratification was a great way to keep them happy, and for me to get a bite or two of a warm meal at the same time. I went for the fresh salad, the savoury meats, sushi bites, and was even tempted by the dessert buffet - that was so kid friendly it made me yearn for the days when my dad would fix me up a little ice cream sundae from a similarly stocked bar.

Whaddya mean i can't eat my dessert first?!

We were then blessed with two dishes that The Dining Room is famous for: crabmeat fried rice and the Sheraton Towers Laksa.

The fried rice was an ordinary affair upon viewing, however, with one bite an explosion of local flavors danced on your palate. It was light and delicate, airy almost, with the tumeric rice really holding the spotlight. There was not one bit of heaviness, or oiliness - just a lovely rice dish with a faint hint of chili that was perfect for me and the kids to share. LOVED IT. Very satisfying.

Deliciousness.

The laksa was another matter. I'm scared of spicy dishes. Most times i find chili overwhelming, as if whoever prepared it was masking the so-so flavor of the dish itself. Laksa is a real joy if done properly - and i've only had a couple on the island that didn't send me to instant fits of weeping  and chugging massive amounts of water, milk, or alcohol to quell the displeasure.

The presentation was curious - the laksa was served dry, and gravy was in a separate side dish. How come, chef?

The chef informed me with a twinkle in his eye that his laksa could be enjoyed dry or with the gravy, and it was up to the individual to decide how much gravy to use... if any at all.

The presentation was nice! I'm not a fan of sauces and gravies, so i finally met my match: a chef who understood that i wanted to sample the dish without any coverup, then i could add it afterwards to enhance my appreciation of the dish. YES! I just hope everyone appreciates this the way i do.

My daughter took a bite.... and went straight for the water.

I was getting concerned. I took a bite.

I sampled it dry: ok yes, marriage of flavors already happening... good good. then with a bit of sauce: woah! If you want a peppy dish, this is the one to try! The chili had a definite presence, but i was enjoying myself so much that a bit of burn was part of the pleasure, and didn't feel like a sucker punch to the face that most chili dishes deal me. Yum! One of my new fave places to get laksa! 

Side by side: perfect accompaniments - the Crabmeat Fried Rice and the Sheraton Towers Laksa (The gravy is being passed around the table...)

By now the kids were getting restless, so it was off to the dessert bar. Chocolate fondue with marshmallows and fruits, strawberry cheesecake with a healthy dollop of jam on top (homina homina!) and a chocolate cake that my son gobbled up before i could get more than a crumb. And an impressive array of ice cream that was delightful and delicate in the mouth - great flavors without heaviness. How do you make ice cream without being heavy?! Great find...

Durian pancakes were also on the menu, but i admit, i'm not a fan of durian. Luckily, if you are, then this could be a real treat for you. Lots of toppings and all freshly made. Frankly there wasn't even a hint of durian in the air at all!

Then we were presented with an awesome delight: the ice cream hamburger, another Sheraton Towers highlight. The "buns" were really soft cookies, kind of what you would find on a whoopie pie, the "meat and mayo" was a thick slice of chocolate ice cream with a thin layer of vanilla ice cream, with frozen kiwis and strawberries for the pickles and tomatoes, and drizzled with a raspberry sauce for the ketchup. THIS. WAS. SPECTACULAR! We would have ordered another had we not been so stuffed from the buffet!

The best "burger" i've had! Introducing the Dining Room's Ice Cream Burger.

Then, my kids lost the plot and couldn't keep behaving like the angels i knew they were, and had to unleash the fidgeting little devils that were hopping around impatiently inside them. After they form tackled Oli, we figured we had better leave before things really got out of hand. 

I'm not lying. It really happened. 

The Dining Room was an experience my kids loved, and Oli and I had a great time with them. My friend Zurina and her kids also had a bit of a ball, and we all agreed that shaking up their routines is totally worth a bit of hilarious photos and loud and unpredictable behavior. 

After all, it builds character. ;)

Lots of character building in progress. (photo courtesy of Zurina Bryant)

Triple Benefits enjoyed on a dining experience like this are:

Tasteful savings. Enjoy 15% discount on food when you join us for lunch or dinner.

Shoot for the Starpoints. Boost your benefits. Dine with three or more guests and get an additional 100 Starpoints® per person - like bringing along a best pal and their kids!

Young and free. It pays to be young! Kids six and under eat free and kids seven to twelve get 50% off. That's what we call one big, happy family. And i call lots of happy tummies and deep sleeps. Ahhhh!

The Triple Benefits promotion is going on from now until 30 September, 2013 and members can enjoy ‘Triple Benefits’ - three exclusive perks whenever you drink or dine at one of 336 restaurants and bars in Asia, and any of the 6 participating F&B venues in the 3 Starwood properties in Singapore: Sheraton Towers, W Hotel, and St. Regis. I'M GOING TO TRY THEM ALL!!!

Wait, what? You AREN'T a member?! Well its open to EVERYONE and you can apply online right now! Do it! What are you waiting for?! Here is the hyperlink: BE A MEMBER!!!

There's nothing like having to sit indoors to get creative in the kitchen again. This morning my kids wanted to help out, so we made pancakes. (I made myself my Magic Oatmeal. Recipe to follow soon...)

My son snacked on dry cereal and had brown rice and sausages for breakfast. Kid is crazy. He LOVES this  - and all i add is a tiny amount of salt to the brown rice. But with sausages - you really CAN'T go wrong.

I defrosted my freezer - and was SO inspired to cook b/c i had so much stuff in there that i forgot i had! Its so beautiful now - and all i can think about is what i'm going to cook next!

I've been dreaming about making some good old fashioned peach cobbler - and i had the recipe out, but with the kids wanting showers, and playtime, and ipads and movies - i just ran out of time. So i will save my recipe for another cheat day....

Lunch was a simple affair - my son had corn, brown rice and sausage again (its Sunday, i hate fussiness). And my daughter had a simple sandwich (PB&J anyone? I miss it too) with chips and oranges. I had a hot dog with relish and mustard and ketchup, with a forbidden Coca-Cola, mainly for the caffeine fix. I still think it tastes like battery acid, but if i can't get Dr Pepper, it will have to do i suppose.

Dinner for my son was pizza and corn (its his favorite), and my daughter had spaghetti bolognese with fresh steamed veggies. I had the leftover crust of pizza that my son didn't eat... and i had dreams of 2-mustard chicken, sweet potatoes and a fresh baked roll... hm, i still might! That sounds darn good!

Right now drinking a glass of wine to calm my nerves as my son cries himself to sleep. He's a stubborn fellow.

RECIPE: Two Mustard Chicken

2 boneless breast halves, cut into sizeable strips

1/2 cup Dijon 

1/4 cup wholegrain mustard

1/4 cup honey

Make the marinade and put the strips in it - let it soak while you get your 9x9 pan greased up and pre-heat your oven to 375F. Once the oven is ready, pour your chicken and some marinade into the dish and place in the oven. Cook for 20 mins or until the meat is fully cooked. It should be bubbly and the sauce just browning on top. Oh, and your kitchen will smell DIVINE.

Serve with veggies, rice, or mashed potatoes. If i'm following non-cheat day protocol, omit the honey in the recipe, and sub a couple of tbsps of Dijonnaise. 

See you on Hazy Monday!

Today i started out running late. a fantastic thunderstorm had kept the skies blackened longer than usual and this family snoozing in our beds. We woke up late, and i somehow managed to make my Magic Oatmeal - recipe to follow soon...

Breakfast: Magic Oatmeal with dried cranberries and hot tea

Lunch - several leaves of lettuce with a grilled chicken, a couple of slices of tomato, and a couple of spoonfuls of corn. Yeah, it didn't leave much to the imagination. But... yeah, don't do a salad like this. It was terrible.

Don't know if anyone has noticed - but i'm winning.

I'm totally winning against the battle of my bulge. For 2 years now i was just enjoying myself, and not being too serious about my diet. But then, my  genes couldn't keep up anymore - i was skinny/fat.

How this happens is that my genes are programmed to spread fat all over my body - so much that i can put on a severe winter layer of blubber and still maintain a size 10UK. Annoying when people tell me i look great, but i knew i wasn't at the best that i could be. I never tipped more than 134lbs on the scale, but that was largest i've ever been, and i was feeling worse and worse health-wise.

Sooo... i got serious with working out again (seriously if you haven't checked out RITUAL - The Gym and are dedicated to maintaining your body and fitness - you HAVE to go!) And i had to reevaluate what i actually ate - which was a lot of refined carbs and sugar.

WOAH! Its been 3 weeks and it takes a while to get over the fact not everything i eat is going to taste sweet. But the hard work has paid off - i'm down to 127lbs, and my little spare tire is melting away, and i barely had to do anything except change my attitude. 

AFF2013 Meals - Monday

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, grilled tomato, and unsweet hot tea

Lunch: pot roast, spinach, and a few sips of red wine

Dinner: eggs, chicken breast and green beans, with a glass of red wine.

I normally wouldn't eat too many eggs, but its what my husband made for me. Had he not made them, i wouldn't have eaten anything. I hate stopping everything just to eat!

Oh, and i drank lots and lots of water. Keeps my skin clear, and actually helps to banish water retention in the body, so that i could rock the gorgeous Vikas Dayal gown i wore to opening night. Which would have been totally unforgiving had i kept on my little love handles.

Breakfast: Nanogreens. These are soooo good!

Lunch: salad with green apples, brie and walnuts.

Then my workout at Ritual - gotta put in my 20 mins.

Dinner: meal replacement shake from Ritual called the Cookie Monster.

I am too busy to eat... as evidenced above. Thank God for meal replacement shakes! 

Wednesday began with having a minor hiccup in the press over nothing (re: the SCS Lift Your Skirt Campaign for Cervical Cancer Awareness Month - post to be on MRNR), chaotic rush of getting ready for Audi Fashion Fest, the kickoff fashion event to the fashion year, and a catch up with my good friend and founder of Killari Jewelry, Sofia Vilacis. *more on my prep on my other blog Model Rant/Rave!

Breakfast: Linda's Magic Oatmeal with cranberries

Lunch: almonds, cashews, pistachios, and dried fig washed down with Marigold Powerveggies and Fruits juice (too much sugar, but will do in a pinch)

Dinner: Serrano ham, sharp cheddar cheese, red grapes, and cashews and almonds, washed down with 2 small glasses of pinot grigio - sighh!

Hmm, after looking at this list i can see i didn't eat enough today! I am making a bit smarter choices with my food, but i'm totally guilty of when i get busy, i cut out mealtimes. *SHOCK!*

Except for the past 3 years, I've always had a reluctant relationship with food. Its not that i was fixated on it, or my mother said i was a fat kid or anything like that - i think i was one of those busy little kids that i absolutely hated to stop whatever i was doing just to eat.

[Replace the food on this kids plate with every yummy food kids love and i still wore this expression on my face. Note: this is not a pic of me]

I recall my mother's exasperation with me during meal time. I learned to not be fidgeting, but i would barely eat half of what my younger sister's portion was only to dash out as soon as my mother saw i was pouting over my plate with disinterest. My mother was an excellent cook. Her meals are the stuff of LEGEND... i was just simply too busy. One of those little kids with big ideas, would be probably the best description of me. I spent my summers climbing trees. My mother once had to sit underneath said tree, and quietly peel an orange. I came straight away down to share it with her. She said it was the best way to get me to come down, no yelling, not even any talking, or acknowledging me up there - she just let me see what she had for me and like a monkey in a tree, i took the bait.

This is the dance i had with food for years. I will eat when i'm famished. And not one moment sooner. Because - I'm BUSY!

Yesterday - I was BUSY! And food was the last thing on my mind. 

Writing down what i have eaten is a great way to reflect on what i need to do to improve my eating habits. 

Slowing down and taking the time to stop and smell my tea would be a great way to start ;)

"Yikes, remind me to never drink that many champagnes again..."

... is an oft quoted lament of mine. I love champagne like a fat kid loves cake. The bottle has popped? Yayyyyy! It's an instant party!

What's not so great is the feeling of having your brain and senses blurred the next day. Alcohol is not great for you, and wreaks havoc on the body. Ok, one is not going to kill you, but too much will definitely ruin your morning. 

With that in mind, my husband Oli wanted me to attempt a mini "water-cut" with a fast this morning - what this is in a nutshell is increasing water consumption in an effort to raise water levels in the body and to flush out toxins (like from alcohol) and to reduce the swelling and bloating in your tissues by helping to regulate water - but not eating until dinnertime!

Let me tell you - it was NIGH IMPOSSIBLE! I was STARVING, my head was fuzzy, and here i was sitting in a cafe on orchard road (Thank you O'Coffee Club!) trying to drown my sorrows in a cup of unsweet english breakfast tea. 

It didn't work.

I buckled and ordered an All American Breakfast, which looked suspiciously like an All English breakfast, but without the pork & beans on the side. But all i consumed of it was the eggs and tomato, b/c i needed to stay on my regimented routine. So i felt better after that, but by the time i got home an hour later, i was blur again. But i only drank loads of water, then headed out to my fitting at noon.

I had no lunch, tho by 4p i ate a handful of almonds, cashews, and pistachio kernels (with the odd golden raisin) and that got me feeling better. My girlfriend Paula (who has one of the BEST lifestyle blogs called Real Housewife of Singapore - check it out!) came over and we chatted over a very conservative glass of red wine (which made me really relaxed and sleepy - sorry Paula!)

By 8p hubby comes home and sees me super sleepy in bed already, and he makes me a pan fried salmon (fried in a little bit of coconut oil) with steamed green beans and organic broccoli, and a dollop of herbed mayonnaise. All washed down with water...

I only ate half... and after a half hour i felt immensely better!

RECIPE!

Pan fried Salmon and Herbed Mayonnaise 

small salmon steak 

salt & pepper to taste

real butter (unsalted) or coconut oil

Fish is delightful, easy to cook, and can be poached (in white wine, yummm!) pan fried, or broiled. We like to pan fry it b/c its faster, but when i wanna take my sweet time, i'll broil or poach it. But tonight was pan fried. 

place butter/oil in the pan and get pan nice and fairly hot

Make some diagonal cuts into the pink flesh of the fish (not too deep) and season fish with salt and pepper on both sides (also use a generous amount of dried dill if not using the herbed mayo)

place fish steak (i start skin side down) in the pan and let it sizzle for a couple of minutes. When the bottom starts to have about a cm or more of pale pink skin (indicating doneness) then flip it over and sear it flesh side down.

After a good searing (no more than a couple of mins) turn it skin side down again and lower the heat to about medium. Let it cook for 5 minutes or so, then flip over. 

When its done take it out of the pan and place on a plate. 

While its cooling, whip together the herbed mayo.

Herb Mayo

3/4 cup real mayo

1 1/2 tsps fresh or dried dill or tarragon leaves

1 tbsp fresh chives

1 tbsp fresh parsely

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tsps Dijon mustard

dash of cayenne

mix and serve a dollop with fish. This makes a generous amount so store covered in a dish in the fridge.

Monday began great as i chowed down on 1 Nature Valley Oats & Dark Chocolate bar - mind you I only had 1, and not both that are in the package. (Too much sugar - *mental note - find a really great energy bar recipe that doesn't have sugar, perfect it, and sell the heck out of it). The reason for the dine and dash? A wedding - my first in Singapore!

The wedding was at 9a, and after the celebration the guests were all treated to light refreshments in the pavilion. However, because of my whole aversion to carbs thing, I had an unsweetened cup of hot tea. You'd be surprised at how the tea curbs cravings. I loved it!

Lunch was a no because we had the wedding dinner to get to, but that didn't stop me from my nanogreens! Again - perfection in a glass! 

After this, i went to RITUAL, the new gym that is taking the fitness world by storm right now, and put in my 30 min workout, and refreshed with a coconut water afterwards.

Dinner I was dreading - knowing it was going to be a celebratory affair, i didn't want to seem high-maintenance for saying "no" to the bread or anything that was off my menu. Luckily for me, the dinner was at the Hyatt, and the cuisine was Chinese - meaning lots of protein! I was in heaven! I had several glasses of champagne to toast the couple, and to drink to my health of course! At the end, a lovely sliver of chocolate raspberry cake was placed in front of me. I hesitated...

But what is life without a little indulgence? I went for it - it was only a small piece!

Stop looking at me that way! :P

Merry times indeed :)

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”  ― J.R.R. Tolkien

Welcome all to my Cheat Day!

My Saturday meals:

Breakfast: skipped to make room for....

LUNCH! Which was dim sum at Crystal Jade Restaurant. I decided to fast until my scrumptious dumplings were consumed b/c i really wasn't all that hungry to begin with, tho i did eat one homemade oatmeal raisin cookie before dashing out the door to grab a cab. I also had some Coca Cola with my lunch. 

Dinner: I actually don't remember consuming anything really, except several flutes of the most gorgeous champagne. My motto: if it doesn't have bubbles, its not a party! And some nachos, mini-burgers, and wedges all washed down with prosecco from Gem Bar, went down nicely, thank you.

Then the party continued at my place, i have a lovely area called The Balcony where its a usual haunt for my friends and i to have a chill out, laugh or two, and there we ate the rest of the oatmeal raisin cookies and caramel popcorn from Garrett's. (Although, i do have a recipe for making your own caramel popcorn at home which is easy, and unlike me, you have to have lots of patience for the setting part.)

Crash and burn by 3a.

Sunday Morning:

Breakfast was french toast with organic peanut butter and maple syrup with a side of bacon. (I scrambled free range eggs and bacon for carb conscious hubby) and both of us had those AWESOME nanogreens that i mentioned in my previous post.

Lunch i fasted - so nothing.

Dinner was back on the slow carb method of eating: homemade chili con carne with red wine and kidney beans that my hubby made, and sweet potato mash - all washed down with a glass of red wine. RECIPE BELOW!!!

Which recipe would you like me to post besides the chili? Just let me know!

Cheat Days are 3 meals that i spread out over the weekend where i eat some banned foods. I honestly felt my body tingling like crazy and felt my carb crash much harder - which is a great indication that i was doing my week right! 

I have no doubt that i will be able to handle my no/low carb meals tomorrow... and i'm eternally grateful that those cookies are gone. Thanks Zurina, Alan and Brad for getting rid of those!

Let me know if there were any recipes that i mentioned that you'd like! I'll start posting those asap!

Until then... sleep well. The week is coming, and there are more food horizons to explore...

Oli's Chili Con Carne

onion

garlic

1 lb mince meat (browned)

2 tins of diced tomatos

1 can kidney beans (include brine)

heaping spoon of tomato paste

tbsp cumin

tbsp chili powder

tbsp coriander leaves

red wine to taste

salt to taste

Put it all in a pot on a stove and simmer until ready. (We prefer putting it in a slow cooker - which can be left unattended and left to simmer without danger of burning for HOURS, which means the flavors are more married together for better flavor! Just check on it occasionally to make sure whatever you are simmering doesn't dry out.) - BMK

ADDENDUM: Oli's Cheat Day

Brunch: Dim sum with 10 dumplings (MINIMUM), not to mention the char siew bao, spring rolls, fried rice,  and the 2 beers he washed it all down with.

Sundowners and Dinner: 28 HongKong - an old fashioned, followed by an old fashioned, followed by 2 of their famous reuben sandwiches, a beer, followed by another beer. Followed by 3 more old fashions, just in case the first 2 didn't do the trick. 

Relocated to Gem Bar and ate the rest of his wife's (mine) nachos and wedges, washed down with 4 pints of beer. At this point, he doesn't think the room is supposed to be tilting this way. 

Heading home required lots of deep breathing to stay his stomach - which thankfully was non caloric. Then to calm the nausea, he sat in front of the freezer and ate 5 spoonfuls of neopolitan ice cream, before stumbling into bed to pass out into a carb induced coma. 

Cheat Day - Go big, or go home! Or in his case, go big AND go home.