Off we go to 18 Balmoral – why?
Well this is the test of cooking skills for me – the auctioned off to cook a meal test.
Have I told you re this before?
Just in case; We went to a charity fund raiser recently for our beloved Tabitha. The house building charity in Cambodia. During the event there was an auction of various items to raise some cash.
One of those items was yours truly.
Yep dinner for 8, cooked by ‘The Semi-Naked Chef’. Dear me, no pressure!!!
Oh yes and it was 3k SGD – again, no pressure!!! Jesus!!!
So off we went Friday to Kelly and Mark’s – THANK YOU SO MUCH again guys – what an experience. Cooking actually 7 individuals items from start-soup-dessert in the usual Singaporean kitchen, and my first time on electric hobs not gas – oh my.
My mates Reevey and Si in the wings as my serving beeeeithces! My lovely Mary stood by my side as soux chef and chief taster. Thank you very much to my team – I love you all!!!
We delivered!!!
We delivered;
Flank + Dipping Sauce,
Ceviche,
Cambodian Chicken Pomelo Salad,
Pho Bo,
Thai Street Fried Rice + Nonya Vegetable Curry + Cambodian Shaking Beef Salad,
2x Sorbet with Cinnamon Sugar & Muscat.
How’s that – not bad eh!
A challenge? F*ck yes!
Did I enjoy it? F*ck yes!
Did we get good reviews? F*ck yes!
Was it worth it? F*ck yes!
Very tough as 8 people I have a limited knowledge of. No idea of likes and dislikes. DO they like spicy or not – who knows. Ahhhhhhhhh. Go with instinct mate, feel the force. So I did and I think it paid off. I had comments like;
“I am so very fussy as all the girls will say, but I actually ate a prawn, I can’t believe it!”
“What is your rate and we’ll socialise you to all our friends.”
“Why don’t you open a restaurant?”
“I have never eaten anything like your flank, it was amazing!”
“The ceviche was my favourite, I added some lime and bamn it was just the best thing!”
Happy with that, indeed VERY happy with that!!!
We had a ball – we all got drunk, the evening was a success and hey let’s not forget we raised over 3k for Tabitha if you add in book sales too. I am seriously impressed.
A few memories – man did I need the camera for these, ha ha – as wine and beer was a flowing!!!
This comes from Mark Reeve – my mate and beeeeitch;
“Buddy it was an ace night, and food was bloody fantastic. How to say I have a bad head today and cannot quite remember the end of the evening. WIll definitely be up for doing it all again!”
Kind of says it all for me!!!
Some snaps;
Yours truly in semi-naked style – bashing some squid for the ceviche.
My darling prepping the pomelo for dish No.2 – thanks babe.
Bashing that squid.
Makes such a difference.
Bash it, boil it for about 2 minutes and it puffs up in to butter consistency bites – Oh yes!
Course No.2???
Nah!!!
Reevey + Dog – very cute. (The dog that is!)
Check this out.
OMG no pressure.
Looks VERY professional!!!
NO PRESSURE – Ahhhhhhhh!!!
A thing of beauty.
Crikey no pressure!!!
Si – getting arty on me – this should be in a cook book or restaurant web site.
Flank.
Everyone should try flank.
A beauty of a snack.
And actually an off-cast from Pho Bo – amazing little thing – it got rave reviews!
Here is my little array of prawn and squid awaiting the timing of ‘next dish please’.
The main course, served on these golden platters from Mustapha’s.
The joke here being – ‘It looks like winning Wimbledon!’
Come on Kennett, let’s get the Cambodian Chicken and Pomelo Salad done and out.
Individual portions for the first 3 dishes – I have never had to do that before – challenge? Oh yes!!!
Next to the Pho Bo – served in blue and red bowls – have to admit it looked bloody amazing!
I even took new herbs to be super fresh.
This is chocolate mint and Thai basil – make it real, make it authentic.
My Soux’s – enjoying ‘leftovers’ – have to feed the troops too!!!
Cambodian Shaking Beef – looking amazing on the Wimbledon Trophy.
A winner!!!
Now we slip to after the event.
Food done.
Dessert consumed.
It’s chill-out time.
When I say chill-out perhaps that was an understatement. Ha Ha…
Not sure, but has any one been drinking???
I shall leave that to you to make a decision.
But using the photo you can clearly make an informed decision.
Is everybody happy?
I think so.
Including yours truly.
Mark and Kelly thank you for the opportunity, thank you for the loan of your condo, and your friends, and thank you on behalf of Tabitha for the GOOD that your kind donation will be making.
Thank you Sonia.
Thank you Georgina.
An amazing experience for yours truly.
One that will never be forgotten.
Thanks to all!!!
