Marina Square Is Hosting A Whimsical Food Fair With Mermaid Tears Drinks, Unicorn Cake Pops & Piping Workshops

Whimsical Food Fair at Marina Square 

Ahh Singaporean Christmas - one of dazzling light displays, “Winter Wonderlands”, and yet another excuse for us to partake in our national sport: eating.  

Besides the endless turkey ham and XO fruitcakes that we feast on during our annual Christmas parties, there’s a new reason for the season: whimsical food. From unicorn fraps to galaxy cakes, there’s no better time to indulge in these psychedelic treats than during the most joyeuxtime of the year. 

This November, head down to Marina Square’s Whimsical Food Fair for a prelude to the upcoming Christmas festivities and immerse yourselves in a rare gathering of whimsical dishes and baking classes all in one place:

1. Indulge in magical desserts from Rainbow Works 

We’ve witnessed many exquisite ice cream flavours, from wasabi lime to chocolate chili, but this24k gold ice cream ($10.90) takes it to a whole ‘nother level.

Coated with a generous layer of edible 24k gold, I can only imagine savouring this luxurious charcoal earl grey lavender flavored ice cream in slow-mo with Bruno Mars’ “24-karat magic in the aaair” playing in the background. 

Sink your teeth into this one-in-a-melon ($9.90) treat - milky watermelon-flavoured soft-serve sandwiched between a juicy slice of watermelon with chocolate “seeds”.

And don’t miss out on Starlite ($9.90), Rainbow Work’s famous unicorn milkshake. Besides rainbow cereal, marshmallow unicorn ears and horn, and handmade whipped cream atop this lavender flavored concoction, they’ve also stuck in a pink balloon, making it a literal carnival in a cup.

If mermaids were real, this is what their tears would look like. This viscous, metallic-looking beverage - a.k.a. Mermaid Tears ($8) - is actually lavender-flavoured, and if you give it a good shake, the effect of this holographic liquid is simply mesmerising.

And don’t worry, the glitter inside is totally edible!

2. Wolf down some melt-in-your-mouth smores from The Wicked Cream

If the only smores you’ve ever had were NTUC marshmallows grilled over a stove, The Wicked Cream’s cubes of heavenly fluff will be nothing short of an epiphanic experience.

Treat yo’self to The Wicked Cream’s Gourmet Marshmallow in Jars ($15-19). With 10/10 packaging and mouth-watering flavours like Sea Salt Gula Melaka, Chocolate Ferrero, and even Red Velvet, these gooey, melt-in-your-mouth sweets are simply to die for. 

For a sample-sized portion, get their Roasted Wickedmallows on a stick ($4). Choose 3 from more than 10 different flavours and watch them get torched on the spot before consuming these warm, sticky, and caramelized-to-perfection marshmallows.

And whatever you do, do not miss out on their Roasted Ice Cream Smores ($10) - we got their bestselling Sea Salt Gula Melaka ice cream encased in a crunchy dark chocolate shell with fluffy, roasted coconut marshmallow on the outside.

3. DIY a galaxy cake from Boufé Boutique Café

Boufé Boutique Cafe has established itself as one of the most instagrammable cafes in town with their all-white aesthetic and out-of-this-world desserts. 

Looking at this Milky Way Cake ($9) will leave you starry-eyed before you even take a bite. If you’d like to customise a galaxy cake for yourself, opt for their Creating Cosmos ($12.90) and you’ll get to glaze your cake with this magical multi-coloured white chocolate on top of a bubbling cauldron of dry ice!

Slice into its unique outer shell to reveal layers of white chocolate yoghurt mousse, chocolate sable, tangy calamansi jelly, and a hint of honey.

Boufe’s Mini Unicorn Cake ($9) is also almost too cute to eat, but you wouldn’t want to miss out on this mango-sticky-rice-inspired dish. Beneath its white milky glaze lies a smooth, creamy coconut mousse with mango cremeux layered between soft vanilla sponge cake.

4. Savour rainbow egg rolls from WaTamago

As this humble egg-centric stall has charmed the pasar malam scene with their Rainbow Tamagoyaki ($6), we're obligated to check out WaTamago’s peculiar egg dish at this food fair.

Coloured scrambled eggs are poured into the pan layer by layer then rolled up into an egg roll with a slice of ham in the middle. The result: sweet, colourful egg rolls pleasing to the eye and the palette. 

You can even top up your tamagoyaki with toasted seaweed, bonito flakes, and sauces like their savoury mentaiko sauce ($0.50). 

5. Bake cute cake pops with ShaunTeoCreations

With cutesy cake pop creations like unicorns, narwhals, and alpacas, renowned baker and cake designer Shaun Teo has transformed the unassuming cake-on-a-stick dessert into works of edible art. 

Stop by ShaunTeoCreations and indulge in his insta-famous Cake Pops from $4-6. These adorable desserts are made of white chocolate and fondant on the outside and moist and rich chocolate, vanilla, or red velvet cakes on the inside. 

For those with little kids in tow, you can also join ShaunTeoCreation’s parent-child baking classesfor $40 on November 18 from 2-3.30PM and you’ll be let in on some of the secrets to making some Baby Narwhals and Giraffe cake pops.

From setting a cake pop base to zhng-ing them with fondant and edible paint, you’ll learn the basics of making your own photogenic cake pops and bring home your personally-designed creations!

Sign up here. 

Marina Square’s fairytale of a food fest 

Besides filling your bellies with cosmic cakes and unicorn desserts, get prepared to be inundated by other rare whimsical creations like R&B Tea’s sparkly unicorn drinks, TingKat PeraMakan’s rainbow kueh lapis, Alley’s ombre Thai Milk Teas, and O' Coffee Club’s vividly-coloured macarons.  

What’s more, stand a chance to win $50 Megafash vouchers*! All you have to do is create a stop-motion video via instastory of your rainbow, unicorn, or cosmo-inspired purchase, and upload it to your Instagram feed with the hashtags #MSQeats and #StopDropRainbow and you could be one of 10 lucky winners!

Anti-LGBT politician resigns after being 'caught having sex with man in his office'

An Ohio lawmaker who routinely touted his Christian faith and anti-LGBT views has resigned after being caught having sex with a man in his office.

Wes Goodman, who is the Republican state legislator for Ohio, is married to a woman who is assistant director of an annual anti-abortion rally known as March for Life.

                   

The right-wing legislator, who pushed “family values”, was reportedly witnessed having sex with a man inside his office who was not employed by the legislator.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the observer told Ohio House Chief of Staff Mike Dittoe what had happened on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Dittoe responded by telling House Speaker Republican Cliff Rosenberger who in turn met with Mr Goodman. 

The 33-year-old, who has been branded the “conscience of the conservative movement”, resigned for “inappropriate conduct” shortly after the meeting took place.

Mr Goodman, whose Twitter biography describes him as “Christian. American. Conservative. Republican. Husband to @Beth1027”, has regularly claimed "natural marriage" occurs between a man and a woman. 

"Healthy, vibrant, thriving, values-driven families are the source of Ohio's proud history and the key to Ohio's future greatness,” reads his campaign website which has now been taken offline.

“The ideals of a loving father and mother, a committed natural marriage, and a caring community are well worth pursuing and protecting."

Mr Goodman was elected to represent the 87th District, in north-central Ohio, just last year. Prior to that, he worked as an aide to US Representative Jim Jordan, a highly conservative, anti-LGBT Republican. 

The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT advocacy group in the US, named Mr Jordan in their Hall of Shame in 2014 for attempting to block marriage equality in the District of Columbia.

Mr Goodman, whose Twitter is now private and whose Facebook page has been taken offline, expressed his commitment to so-called family values in a statement back in 2013. “Faith, family, service, stewardship, strong education, and investment in our local communities are what Ohioans value. My wife Bethany and I value those same things and are ready to get to work to serve you," he said. 

The lawmaker acknowledged he was stepping down in a statement. “We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life," he said. 

"That has been true for me, and I sincerely regret that my actions and choices have kept me from serving my constituents and our state in a way that reflects the best ideals of public service," he continued. "For those whom I have let down, I’m sorry. As I move onto the next chapter of my life, I sincerely ask for privacy for myself, my family, and my friends.”

“I was alerted to details yesterday afternoon regarding his involvement in inappropriate behaviour related to his state office,” Mr Rosenberger said in a statement. “I met with him later in the day where he acknowledged and confirmed the allegations. It became clear that his resignation was the most appropriate course of action for him, his family, the constituents of the 87th House District and this institution.”

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Remember These 15 Cooking Tricks From Professional Chefs That Are Revealed Only at Culinary Schools

Professional chefs keep all their cooking tricks a secret, sharing them only with their students. However, we managed to find out some drops of cooking wisdom.

Bright Side gathered the cooking tricks of professional chefs from around the world to help you make your dishes taste just as great as Gordon Ramsay’s. Or even better. There’s a bonus for you at the end of the article: the most unusual cooking trick you’ve ever heard.

1. The perfect steak

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Don’t fry a piece of meat that you’ve just taken out of the fridge. Leave it for an hour or 2 before cooking to let it come up to room temperature. Now you’ll fry the meat evenly and get a great meal, regardless of how you like your steak done. If you want a beautiful brown crust on your steak, get rid of all the moisture in the meat before frying.

2. The juiciest meat

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It takes time to fry chicken or pork properly, and you can dry them out very easily. To avoid this, many European chefs use a simple trick: they put the meat in a brine. It’s very easy to make a good brine: take 3 cups of water, and add ¼ cup of salt and ¼ cup of sugar. Pour the brine onto your meat so that the liquid covers it, and put the bowl in a fridge.

The time of brining depends on the thickness of the chops you have — approximately 1 hour for 1 kg of meat. Don’t leave it for more than 8 hours or less than half an hour. If you cook chicken wings, the brining time should be based on an average weight of 1 wing. Don’t forget to pat the chops dry before cooking.

3. Flavoring spices

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To extract natural flavors and enhance the taste of the black pepper or cumin in your dish, toss them in a pan over medium heat, toasting them until they’re fragrant. After that, you can use a mortar and pestle to grind your spices. You can substitute ground black pepper with black peppercorns and crack the seeds. When you add it to your dish, you’ll get a much better aroma and flavor.

4. Light and airy dough

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If you want to cook the perfect dough, follow this simple rule: take the butter and eggs out of the fridge the night before to let them come up to room temperature. You’ll thank us later.

5. Fish with a delicate crust

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If you want to fry fish on a grill, spread some mayonnaise on it to get a tasty delicate crust. Take a pastry brush, dip the tip in the sauce, and lightly apply mayo to the fish. Add some salt, and then grill it. We guarantee you’ll get a perfect golden crust.

Use the minimum amount of spices on your fish. It’s better to use salt. When the fish is done, spritz it with lemon juice for the best result.


6. Cooking steak without oil

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Alain Ducasse, one of the most famous chefs in the world, revealed his secret for cooking a great steak. The steak is placed on its edge because it renders the fat. Now you’re able to cook the steak in beef fat, plus it creates an appetizing crust on the edges. Thus you don’t need to use oil while cooking. It’s as simple as that.

7. Creamy mashed potatoes

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Before turning boiled potatoes into mashed ones, you need to dry them properly. Just place them in a clean heated frying pan, and keep them there until the remains of water dry out. Don’t let the heat fry them. When the potatoes are dry, you’ll get the best creamy mashed potatoes.

A little secret: to avoid hot milk splashing you when you make mashed potatoes, smash some of them in a pan, and then add the milk.


8. Excellent cream soup

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Right before you start cooking vegetable cream soup, fry all vegetables separately with olive oil. Then add some water or a broth. Frying will caramelize the sugar in the vegetables and enhance their flavor. The dish will be exquisite and tasty. The same trick can be applied to a vegetable stew.

9. The best pancakes

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Regardless of the recipe you follow, always add 2 tablespoons of sour cream to the mix. This trick suits all kinds of pancakes well, and they turn out to be very tasty, fluffy, and free of cracks.

10. Sugar is not for sweetness

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Sugar can be as good a seasoning as salt. Add a bit of sugar to a dish with pickled or fresh tomatoes or a tomato paste — the sugar will reduce their natural sourness and make any meal taste better.


11. The most difficult one: perfectly fried eggs

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The 3 components of perfectly fried eggs are a thick-walled frying pan, butter, and minimum heat. Heat up the frying pan, and add 1/2 tablespoon of butter. It has to melt slowly, not reach a sizzle. Break the eggs, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add salt, and enjoy perfectly fried eggs.

12. Clear broth

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A clear broth is the main component in many soups, sauces, and other dishes. To make a crystal clear broth, you need to cook a chicken on a low heat without a cover for at least 3 hours. Don’t let it boil, and remove the suds as they appear. After cooking it for 1.5 hours, you can add parsley, celery, carrots, and onions.

When cooking a beef or a lamb broth, you might want to roast root vegetables before adding them to your soup. Just cut them into halves, and put them in a heated frying pan without oil. Fry until a dark brown crust appears, and then add them to the broth. This trick will make the taste of your dish very rich.


13. Crispy bread сrust

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If you bake at home, you might have faced difficulties with your crust: it’s either too pale or too thick. You can solve this problem quite easily by putting a bowl of water into your oven when you bake. The steam will do the magic, and you’ll get a good crispy bread crust.

14. Cook onions correctly

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Use a medium heat for frying, and add both cooking oil and butter to the heated frying pan. Cut the onions, and fry them with some salt. The salt does 3 good things: it gets rid of the unpleasant onion smell, helps them cook quicker, and caramelizes to add a sweet flavor. You should only use butter for frying onions. If you want to avoid them darkening, use melted butter instead.


15. Don’t be afraid of garlic

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Not only vampires are afraid of garlic! Its smell can ruin a business meeting or a romantic dinner. If you still love to eat it but don’t want to frighten away your date, don’t add garlic to the dish. Instead, you can apply some garlic juice to the plate. Thus you’ll avoid the unpleasant smell and enjoy your favorite flavor.

Bonus: Say no to nonstick pans!

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Have you ever noticed that it’s quite hard to cook something with a crispy crust on a nonstick frying pan? The reason is the nonstick coating. Use this type of pan only for frying eggs and pancakes. But if you want your meat or fish to have a golden crust, buy a new frying pan without a nonstick coating. You’ll feel the difference.

We hope you learned something new from the article. Do you know any cooking tricks that will make everyone else say "Wow!"? Tell us in the comments about your cooking experience.

source :brightside

Pickle Cupcakes Are The Salty New Dessert Trend We Dare You To Try

Just when you thought 2017 couldn’t get any weirder, now we have news that PICKLE CUPCAKES are a thing. That’s right: Pickle-flavored cupcakes are coming to a bakery near you. (Well, maybe.)

This isn’t the first time that someone had the idea to make pickles into a dessert. On the “Today” show this summer, Hoda Kotb and Kathy Lee Gifford sampled chocolate-covered pickles on their Tryday Friday segment and were pleasantly surprised with the flavor.

It turns out the combo of salty and sweet makes for a perfect dessert… hence pickle cupcakes!

There are variations on pickle cupcake recipes. At Delish, they used a 1/4 cup of pickle juice in the batter, along with a 1/4 cup of chopped pickles. The frosting has a touch of bourbon (good call), as well as cream cheese (and of course, sugar and butter). A pickle slice garnishes the treat so there’s no surprises for anyone who thinks this might be a regular vanilla cupcake!

Adobe

The result is a sweet yet salty surprise with plenty of pickle flavor. Check out Delish’s video with their recipe here:

Wouldn’t these be such a cute idea to serve at a baby shower or a gender reveal party (sans bourbon in this case)? We all know that pregnant mamas are supposed to have serious pickle cravings! (And pickleback shots are obviously out of the question.)

If Delish’s recipe is a little too pickle-y for you, simply cut back on the chopped pickles and just use pickle juice.

Or do what Stef at The Cupcake Project does: She makes her pickle cupcakes with ground dill, pickle juice, and diced pickles. She also tops hers with vanilla ice cream!

The Cupcake Project

Oh, and there’s even a vegan pickle cupcake recipe for you dairy-free folks, complete with peanut-butter frosting! It uses pickle juice and chopped pickles as well as dried dill. Get the recipe here from Peanut Butter and Ginger.

Peanut Butter And Ginger

Now, these pickle sweets have come about as a result of the deep pickle mania that’s sweeping the nation.

There’s pickle juice in a can that you can use for mixed drinks (or I suppose to drink straight from the can like a soda, if you’re really into pickle juice).

But that’s not to be confused with actual pickle juice soda.

Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop

And then we have pickle candy canes.

And “The Chickle,” which is a chicken sandwich in a pickle instead of a bun.

Fresno Grizzlies 

✔@FresnoGrizzlies

Playing @nashvillesounds for 2 more, so doing some Nashville hot chicken in a big pickle. Available tomorrow (12:05) and Thurs (7:05) only.

7:52 AM - May 17, 2017 · Fresno, CA

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Plus there’s pickle beer, pickle popsicles and, of course, pickle vodka.

I told you 2017 was weird, y’all. What’s next

source :simplemost

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