[COMING SOON] MEALLIONS: NEW FOOD STARTUP REALITY TV SHOW ON YOUTUBE

Meallions is a weekly YouTube reality show in which 15 food startups from Asia and 15 from Europe and Russia battle it out to turn their food ideas into dishes ready to be launched in the global market.

Filming for Meallions is already underway for both the European and Asian version and the show is set to debut on YouTube in October 2017. The streets of Singapore will be the culinary battleground for the final series of the first season of this show. The finalists will have to test sell their products on the street to ordinary people and gather customer reviews. The last two standing will be competing for US$100,000 prize money and for their product to reach worldwide audience.

This coming 10 August 2017, Meallions will be opening the invitation for aspiring foodpreneurs to be part of the show. Do visit meallions.show to find out more (Note: Website will go 'live' from 10 August) 

I was invited to the media preview of Meallions which was held at the Suntec City Convention Centre, Halls 401-402, Booth 18B which is the booth for King Claw of Kamchatka that is a part of the Specialty and Fine Food Asia 2017 exhibition.

The key spokesperson were there for the presentation and on-site interviews. From left to right, Director of Mabius Food Startup Centre, Alexander Kiselev, The man behind Meallions, Ivan Sidorok also from NMGK (Nizhny Novgorod Fats & Oils Factory), Wilmar Nizhny Delta and Russia's first food startup incubator, Mabius Food Startup Centre, Film actor, director and producer Arun Pandian from A&P Groups.

The idea for this show came from this man, Ivan Sidorok. Sidorok himself will also appear on the show as part of the team of mentors to foster and nurture the novice entrepreneurs.

"The main idea of 'Meallions' is to bring food startup communities together around promising food industry markets, to inspire global cooperation among entrepreneurs from large developing regions, and to identify business enthusiasts who have the courage to dream big and help them realize their potential," says Ivan Sidorok, creator of the reality show. "I'm sure that the future of niche products are ideas that come 'from below'. It's the young people without much experience in FMCG but who have a unique vision - and not the big R&D departments of large corporations - that will set the hottest trends in the food industry, and as a result, create a driving force for global markets," Sidorok adds.

Joining Sidorok to be the mentor is Andrey Ryvkin, whose delicacy canned crab product King Claw has already made its debut on the British market.

 Ready-to-eat Potted King Crab sauce made from the meat of kamchatka king crab. Ideal to use on hot toast as a finishing or mix with salad.

Refreshments was served. We had the Potted King Crab Truffle Eggs On Toast and Potted King Crab Mango and Avocado Salad. Simple dish like these can turn out to be so delicious just by adding the special sauce.

For aspiring food entrepreneurs out there who are keen to be a contestant on the show, the website will only be launched to accept applications starting 10 August, but meanwhile, do visit their facebook page for more information and stay updated.

www.facebook.com/meallionsshow

XOXO

[Event] Starbucks 20th Anniversary Party at Liat Towers

Starbucks Singapore celebrated their 20th anniversary at Liat Towers, which is also their very first store in Singapore.  

Lis and I made our way down for their exclusive treats! 

Can't believe that Starbucks is only here in Singapore for 20 years! I thought it would be way longer than that.

We not only get to enjoy some free samples at the Starbucks TEAVANA Bar, we also get tips and small recipe cards (recipe based on a Starbucks tall-size serving) that teaches us how to recreate the drinks at the comfort of our home.

SPARKLING YOUTHBERRY COLD BREW

INGREDIENTS
- 2 sachets of Starbucks Youthberry White Tea
- 3 Strawberries (cut)
- 6 Blueberries (cut for more berry sweetness)
- Mint leaves
- 1 mason jar
- Your preferred flavoured fizz

DIRECTIONS
1) Place tea bags in clear cup/mason jar
2) Add room temperature/cold water
3) Refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight
4) Remove from fridge, discard tea bag
5) Serve with ice, berries and mint - top it with fizz
6) OPTIONAL - Add a dash of honey, or more cut berries for added sweetness if you like!

INDULGENT CHOCOLATEY CHAI

INGREDIENTS
- 50g Dark Chocolate
- 1 sachet of Starbucks Chai Tea
- 3/4 cup of milk
- 3 tablespoons of whipped cream
- Small marshmallows
- Cinnamon stick

DIRECTIONS
1) Melt dark chocolate on low heat
2) In the same pot, heat milk and add whipped cream to pot
3) Keep stirring until smooth (ensure it's on medium heat)
4) Place Chai Tea bag in a mug
5) Pour chocolate mix into mug
6) Steep for 5 mins
7) Finish with marshmallows
8) Stir away with the cinnamon stick for an extra oomph

This is the other recipe card for their Earl Grey Via. 

We were given a Starbucks badge and also a customized Starbucks Cup whereby we got to choose either Lettering with quotes or Doodling with art. Both Lis and I chose Doodling with art on our cups.

Yay, our two customized cups! Really unique and pretty! Couldn't really wait in the queue so gotten husband to collect for us! Thank you!

After that, went to Great World City to meet Jessie for Hush Puppy event. After the event ended, husband, Jessie and myself went to the Starbucks to enjoy their 1-for-1 Christmas beverages before our dinner.

Our festive drink ordered. We had the Teavana™ Red Ribbon Green Tea Latte and Peppermint Mocha. With the new mix, I can't really taste the original taste of the drinks. Like the red ribbon green tea latte, the taste of the pomegranate has overpower the green tea latte. Peppermint Mocha is topped with a dash of mocha drizzle and crunchy red and white candy bits. That's really Christmas in a cup! 

XOXO 

[Recipe] Marmite4UMarmite4Me : Hearty Dish For the Young , Grown up and Elderly

Welcome to the World of Marmite! Most of us should have heard of and eaten before food prepared or cooked with Marmite but not many would have known the history of Marmite.

Marmite has a strong heritage in history. In fact, it was invented by a German scientist, Justus Liebig in the late 19th Century. He accidentally discovered that the useless leftover brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten. It was first made edible and sold to the British public over 100 years ago.

Marmite is a French term for a large covered earthenware or metal cooking pot which the yeast extract was supplied in originally. The image of this pot has since been used as a logo for the label. Now, Marmite is sold in the bulbous glass jars that we are all so familiar with today.

Beside being 100% Vegetarian, Marmite is also Halal certified. Rich in Vitamin B, Marmite plays a useful part in many people's diet. It is also a rich source of folic acid, that many women of child-bearing age are found to be deficient of. The brand has successfully established itself as a healthy spread for children. In fact, I remember my mum mixing this in plain porridge to make it flavourful and nutritious. It can also be as simple as adding hot water to make marmite soup but today I'm going to share a more complex recipe of cooking Marmite Chicken Wing  

MARMITE CHICKEN WING

Ingredients needed: 

- 400g Mid Wings, cleaned

- 50g Whole Garlic, peeled & quick fry

- 50g Whole Shallot, peeled & quick fry

- 30g Red Chili

- 20g Spring Onion, cut short

- 40ml Vegetable Oil

Seasoning:

- 1/2 tbsp Marmite Sauce

- 1 tbsp Hot Bean Sauce

- 1/2 tsp Sugar

- 1/2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

- 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil

- 60 ml water

Method of Preparation:

1. Mixed all seasoning together and set aside.

2. Pre sear chicken wings for few minutes (half cooked)

3. Heat up pan, add oil and half cooked chicken wings

4. Add seasoning sauce mixture and stir till seasoning reduce about 5 minutes

5. Add garlic, shalot, chili and stir

6. Add spring onion and the dish is ready to be served

Marmite Chicken Wings ready to be served! Looks good!

Available at all supermarkets, the retail price of the 3 different sized bottles are as follow: 115g bottle for $3.69, 230g bottle for $6.47 and 470g bottle for $12.33.

However, if you are not sure whether you are a Marmite fan, you may wish to head over to SampleStore.com here to redeem for your FREE Marmite bottle sample! *Sampling has already launched on 8th August 2016 and I understand they are currently OUT OF STOCK due to the popular demand

#MyMarmiteMyWay REVIEW CONTEST ON SAMPLE STORE

After redeeming the free sample, share in your Sample Store review of your personal experience on how you enjoyed using the Marmite free sample. Eg, mixing in soup, toast or cooking. 3 winners will be picked to each win the 3 different sized bottles. Winners will be announced on Sample Store Instagram & Facebook page. Contest ends 30th September 2016.

Ending my post with the rest of the dishes prepared by the hubby. It's a stay home National Day this year and while we are catching the National Day Parade on TV, we also caught Psyduck who decided to make a special appearance at our house. Pokemon Go is such a hype now. I just find it very cute to take photos with. Hehe. Happy 51st Birthday, Singapore!  

XOXO

Food Art - How to make an Owl Bread

How our food looks constitute a big part of the overall eating pleasure. Food art is an interesting concept turning ordinary and boring food into something interesting with just a little bit of creativity and simple ingredients. Will start with an easy one as seen above which is an Owl Bread. 

I sketch out the idea online with the ingredient list on this special recipe card that I received, read more about My Kitchen Rules on my previous post here.

All the ingredients that are needed are as seen in the photo above. 

1.Sunshine Extra Fine Wholemeal Bread (healthier choice, read my previous post here) 

2. Raisins (The original maker of this food art used black olives which looks better)

3. Cucumber 

4. Carrot

5. Egg

6. Cheese

This is so easy to make, I don't think I need to show any step-by-step instructions. The only thing that needs to be cooked is just the egg, it has to be a hard-boiled egg for its eyes, obviously. Bread, cheese, raisins, carrots and cucumbers can be eaten as its' original state.   

Me with the final master piece. I enjoyed doing this food art but the only problem in creating one food art is that I am left with a lots of leftovers. Only used one slice of the whole cucumber and carrot. The rest have to put back into the fridge. So maybe next time have to plan to cook a meal with those ingredients. Enjoy and if you have any other interesting food art, do share it with me!

Sunshine Bakeries : Extra Fine Sprouted Wholemeal Bread + Choc Wholemeal Cream Rolls

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper!

Picture Source : Sunshine Bakeries

What is your favourite type of breakfast? Pancake? Prata? Economical fried bee hoon? For me, it's definitely the good-old bread. I would rather skip breakfast if I ran out of bread at home. Usually, I will have soft and chewy breads like white loaf bread, raisin bread, butter bread, etc. Wholemeal bread is not my type of choice as it is too dry and tough to chew even though my parents have been eating this type of bread as a healthier choice. 

This perception of mine surely changed 180 degrees after I have tried Sunshine Extra Fine Sprouted Wholemeal Bread. It is tastier than white bread and not that tough as the normal wholemeal bread out there in the market.

With Sunshine Extra Fine Sprouted Wholemeal Bread, my choices of bread has increased and I do not have to compromise on my taste buds when it comes to eating healthy.

So I'm really grateful to be invited to this afternoon high tea session at the Botanic Garden for an educational sharing of information on sprouted grains and their benefits as well as trying out the New Sunshine Extra Fine Sprouted Wholemeal Bread. Definitely learnt a lot during the 2 hours sharing. 

"This newly launched product is endorsed by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) as a Healthier Choice product, and it also has the distinction being the first product in Asia to be endorsed by the US Whole Grains Council. We are working closely with the council to further educate consumers on the health benefits of sprouted whole grains. Adults and children alike will love this extra fine and extra soft bread which comes with all the benefits of a wholemeal bread", said Mr Nicholas Koh, Head of Marketing of Sunshine Bakeries & Auric Pacific Marketing for the opening speech.

 

Next, we have Ms Cynthia Harriman, Director of Food & Nutrition Strategies of the US Whole Grains Council to share with us. It's already 2.30am in Boston where she is but she stayed up to skype and share the benefits with us. She mentioned that the next evolution in healthier food lies in sprouted whole grains and that Sunshine Bakeries is at the forefront of this newest advances in whole grains. She shared with us the goodness of grains, basically, a grain has three edible parts. Refine grains lost half of the nutrients. Eating more whole grains can reduce risk of heart disease. Sprouted whole grains are much healthier as the sprouting process "unlocks" the grain's nutrients that are store in the seeds.

Next speaker is Ms Ketki, she really gives a very detailed explanation of why sprouted grains are better. I'll just summarized them.

1) Easily digestible, cause it's kind of broken down already
2) Increased Vitamin
3) Less intestinal gas
4) Feels full longer

Anyway, it's not east to carry out the sprouting process. Too much heat and the grains will get fungus and rot, too little heat, the grains will not sprout.

What we have for our high tea. All prepared with love from the Sunshine's Extra Fine Sprouted Wholemeal Bread. Below are the recipes courtesy of Ms Anna Lim, Founder of The Soup Spoon Pte Ltd.

Happy posing like a promoter!

Thank you so much for the lovely sunflower and picnic basket full of Sunshine bread.

Picture Source : Sunshine Bakeries

Together with the launch of the Sunshine's Extra Fine Sprouted Wholemeal Bread, Sunshine has also launched the Sunshine Choc Cream Roll Range consisting of

- The Sunshine Cocoa Choc Wholemeal Cream Roll
- The Sunshine Caramel Choc Wholemeal Cream Roll
- The Sunshine Coconut Choc Wholemeal Cream Roll

So nice and conveniently packed, I can have it as a snack, anytime and anywhere.

Ending my post with this Owl Bread (Food Art) created using Sunshine's Extra Fine Sprouted Wholemeal Bread and other ingredients. Who says eating bread is boring? Find out more in my next post to find out how to create this simple food art. Thanks for reading!