East Coast BBQ

A few weeks ago, I met up with Jiawei, an old friend of mine.This dude is quite the character, and I mean it in a good way of course. I remembered him as being very animated and lively. He has wide hand gestures that are hard to miss. It has been more than two years since we last met up. We used to be coursemates back when I was still pursuing my Mass Communication diploma at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.It was great to see that he was exactly the same - as cheery as always. As we caught up, I asked him what he was doing now and what he said next definitely pricked my ears and I'm sure you will be interested too.He was helping out at his uncle's barbeque seafood stall at East Coast Lagoon Food Village. Located at East Coast Park around the Marine Parade area, this food centre is known for serving up one of the best satay beehoon in Singapore. Then there's also the famous barbecue pork noodles, beef noodles and the most delicious chicken wings. There are also many bbq seafood stalls there. I've eaten at one of the bbq stalls before but am usually rather disappointed because of the small portions and cut-throat prices. So naturally, when Jiawei told me about his uncle's stall, I had to probe further.But what's the use of asking so many questions when I could actually taste for myself how good it actually is? You've got to taste it to believe it, yes?So I went down last weekend with my mum and Dot. Before I say anything, perhaps you want to see the first dish we ordered:The photo alone says plenty. Okay, maybe only if you are a big fan of seafood and perhaps clams.Commonly known as 'la-la' here, these clams are usually stir-fried in a tasty spicy red sauce. We locals enjoy dishing the sauce on plain rice once we've fished out all the clam-meat.I did the same here. But it was different, so different that I was very surprised.But in a GOOD way.The sauce that came with the clams were unlike any I had ever tasted. This is not an exaggeration on my part. Thicker and tastier, it had a fuller flavour than the other versions I've eaten. There was a slight sweet and tangy hint that made the spicy note sort of 3-dimensional.Okay, I might be stretching it quite thin here. But bear with me. I am desperately trying to use every opportunity I can to practise my food description skills since that's what I do (my full-time job).So of course I was curious and I asked Jiawei's uncle what made it so special. I hope I'm not leaking some trade-secret here, but he said that he added tomatoes. Oh and one thing to note, he makes most of his sauces at home before bringing it down to the stall and yes it is his own recipe.Even the sambal he used for the lip-smacking sambal stingray is homemade:Yes it looks fiery red and it is spicy but not until it burns your taste buds.Now when I ordered the stingray, I assumed the only option I had was sambal. Well at least that's what most of the bbq seafood stalls offer: Sambal Stingray. Then Jiawei told me that his uncle has another option: Butter & Garlic Stingray.The moment he uttered those two words 'butter' and 'garlic', I was sold. But I still wanted my sambal stingray so he offered to season half of my stingray with sambal and the other half, with butter and garlic.The result was enthralling. I know it's not a common word used for food but what the heck anyway. I have never seen any other bbq seafood stall serving stingray the way his uncle does. Any foodie would know that butter and garlic is a marriage made in aromatic heavens and when done right, can create a whirl-wind romance, yes between said dish and hungry diner.Sometimes it is true, you have to try it to believe it.It looks like Jiawei's uncle might have something really good up his sleeves. If he can manage to pull off good clams and stingray, I'm sure the rest of his dishes would be just as good, including the sambal kangkong:And I was right. The kangkong was just as good with a solid sambal.I found out from Jiawei that prior to the renovations of the food centre, his uncle used to have a satay stall there. But after they moved back in to the newly furbished food centre, he decided to focus on bbq seafood and they have been there for the past 4 years.When I went there for dinner, I did tell Jiawei I would write about this place if I liked it enough and well since I loved it, I decided I had to share it with you.They also sell salmon, sole, seabass, squid, lobster and fried oyster among others.Seriously, I think sometimes, you don't need a table with white starched table cloths and a room in air-conditioned comfort to enjoy a good meal. This stall might be small but it serves some kick-ass seafood that would be a delight to any diner.You can find this stall at number 38, it is relatively near the DBS atm

Nite Owl Coffee

If you have been following the launch of Watchmen – from the advertising campaigns and posters, to The New Frontiersman and more, heck just read the in-depth look by Chris Thilk on all their movie marketing madness – the one thing that really was interesting to me was the coffee tie-in to the movie.If you’ve read the graphic novel – and, well, the people who saw it opening weekend likely have read it – you will remember the scene where Dan serves Sally a cup of coffee after they rescued people from the burning building. I think the line was that he was still civilized.And, when you first saw the coffee online – I don’t remember where I saw the link – but I do remember thinking it was another part of the film’s viral campaign, and that it wasn’t real.But, well, the coffee IS real. The company – Organic Coffee Company – is real. How it all came into reality, well, that’s sorta unreal but still real.Clay Enos – a photographer in his day job – is a founding member of OCC, which he views more as more of a coffee cartel than a company. Enos started the company a few months back, after assignment in Oaxaca, Mexico and being inspired by the people who make specialty coffee and their dedication and dependence on the farmers.So, simply, he decided to become an importer and develop organic, relationship coffee with the belief that if you want good coffee, you don’t ignore the growers, but have a deep relationship with them that is based on trust and value.And, being a photographer, he uses his own photographs to give the company and its coffees their own distinctive identity. And, since he started this out as a labor of love to honor world coffee, the majority of the profits are donated. When I spoke to Clay, he noted that the company is something that helps him express other principles, and a nice outlet for his photographs.Talking to Enos, it's evident that he loves coffee and the idea of helping out others. His view of OCC is that it is a cooperative spirit, and that there be a sharing of the wealth. And, well, that coffee is a lovely social elixir – coffee is a lovely way to engage people. It’s the coffee way of life.So, how did this all tie-in to Watchmen?Well, Enos went to Ithaca College with Debbie Snyder – the wife of the director, and one of the producers of the movie. And, the photographer part of his life, well, Enos did all the photo shoots in the movie, behind the scenes, the one-sheets and the movie posters (all as work for hire).As he noted, this was an overwhelming venture, was his first feature film. It was curious, excited, and as a portrait artist, you can’t do any better than a movie with five decades of costumes, hair, makeup – it was just ripe for portraits.One thing to do behind-the-scenes, etc – but the portraiture work is totally different, an art book of portraits. With any luck, it will hold up past the movie tie-ins, as an example of great portraiture.As he was doing the photographs, he thought of ways to tie-in coffee (as he notes, coffee is on his brain now). As he read the graphic novel, he noted that when they save the folks from the tenement fire, they then have coffee. Wouldn’t it be fun, to make that real? To do a Nite Owl coffee? And, well, Enos was in the position where he could make it happen and raise money for charity, and satisfy the fans - really, to let people have some of the best coffee they will ever have.Thus far, the sales have been interesting because people are having trouble believing it’s real – it’s high-quality coffee that is not just for fans. Enos doesn’t care if it’s Nite Owl or one of the other coffees, it’s about the quality and how coffee is part of life.Each coffee tells its own story, you’re drinking a place and people’s lives. It's fodder for conversation, and you can tell a story with the people. An equivalent of wine stories.The Nite Owl and OCC coffees are about creativity, and having some fun. It's to inspire people to do the same, instead of looking down – the artistic mode, make better photographs instead of dismissing the idea that they couldn’t do well.As for the coffee? Well, I got my can delivered - and it's some of the best smelling coffee I've ever smelled. It's rich, heady and you can tell it's going to be one helluva cup of coffee. So, as a fan boy, it's exciting. As a coffee lover, it should be great.

Hottest Mom

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WOII Online

WOII, Toegang Tot Toen, Online Wo2Online.nl - WOII Online - Tweede Wereldoorlog - Thema's - Bronnen - Onderwijs - Tentoonstellingen - Zoeken - Over Over WOII : "WO2Online.nl streeft naar een zo compleet mogelijk overzicht van beschikbare, maar vooral betrouwbare kennis over de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Voor een zeer brede doelgroep: van kinderen die een werkstuk voorbereiden tot ouderen die terugblikken op een aspect van de Tweede Wereldoorlog dat hun eigen verleden raakt. Met een telkens wisselende online tentoonstelling en een groot overzicht van beschikbare bronnen is WO2Online.nl de centrale plek voor informatie over de Tweede Wereldoorlog op internet.."(Wo2Online.nl)WOII Online is een bijzondere en informatieve site die in woord en beeld de Tweede Wereld Oorlog behandelt zoals deze in Nederland werd ervaren. In de tentoonstelling kun je interactief op verkenning gaan in een huiskamer zoals deze er op 10 mei 1940 zou kunnen hebben uitgezien. Kranten uit die tijd, radiouitzendingen, oogetuigenverslagen maken hier deel van uit.Del.icio.us Tags: wo2 online wereldoorlog nederland Technorati Tags: wo2 online tweede wereldoorlog nederland 1940-1945 BlinkList Tags: wo2 online tweede wereldoorlog nederland 1940-1945 IceRocket Tags: wo2 online tweede wereldoorlog nederland 1940-1945 Google Search: wo2 online tweede wereldoorlog nederland 1940-1945 Beertjes Weblog by Peter Franken

Lindsay Lohan Looks for Love on eHarmony

Let the resurrection of Lindsay Lohan begin! We all know Hollywood loves a comeback, and nobody needs one more than one Miss Lindsay Lohan. Frankly, if this girl has a hope in hell of reviving her career, reminding us why we liked her in the first place is a very good start. The much maligned actress has done a faux eHarmony profile video for the good folks over at Funny or Die (which is slowly becoming the one-stop shop for teen actors to expand their horizons), and believe it or not, the results are pretty funny. Posing as a customer of the dating service, Lohan lands some good jokes over her run-ins with the law, party-girl reputation and supposed dwindling finances. Plus, I have to admit; for once it felt good to be laughing with the gossip mainstay and not at her.As much fun as it's been to watch Lohan become a full-scale Hollywood train wreck, there's still a big part of me that would like to see her succeed. If you think back to just a few years ago, Lohan was ready for a big movie career and she had brought down the house on her first appearance on SNL. But, as her gossip quotient rose, the deals stopped rolling in like they used to, and suddenly Lohan was the living example of everything that was wrong with Young Hollywood. But here's the one thing that made Lohan stand out; unlike many of her celebutard compatriots: she had actual talent. Judging by her performance here, maybe if the infamous red-head can snag a role in a quality comedy, we might forget that she used to be the punch-line. What do you think?

Drew Barrymore Proves Braids Are a Spring Trend

Just yesterday we were giving you the scoop on French braids as a spring hair trend -- Jessica Simpson showed us just how chic the style can be. Well, it didn't take long to catch on. Drew Barrymore was sporting a French braid similar to Jessica's yesterday on "Live With Regis and Kelly!" Drew's 'do showed why any girl with highlights (or lowlights) can really benefit from a fun braid (just look at the depth her color adds to the look). We also loved that it wasn't too precious -- her braid was full of texture and fullness, and the back of her hair was pinned up in a bunch of funky twisted braids. So what have we learned? First of all, French braids are officially hot -- learn it, love it. Second, don't try to make it perfect -- smooth and sleek is overrated. Bumps and messy, spiky ends are where it's at! Hair Trend: Braids, Big & Little From big and chunky the tiny and messy, braids are a must 'do this season.Don't let their intricate details intimidate you; in a few steps you can make pretty plaits like actress Drew Barrymore. Celebrity hairstylist Jessica Tingley of the Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon in Los Angeles takes us through step-by-step in recreating five different braid styles - from soft and simple to funky and intricate.- Dana Oliver Soul Brother, FilmMagic Ray Tamarra, Getty Images THE MESSY BRAID-BUNTo get a look like Nicole Richie's, create four face-framing braids, securing them as close to the ends as possible with an elastic. Twist the remaining hair into a messy bun. Then comes the fun part: undo the elastics on the braids and incorporate them into the bun, securing with bobby pins. The result? Super soft and romantic! WireImage.com THE WRAP-A-BRAIDThis red carpet hair style staple works best on shoulder length or longer hair, like Salma Hayek's. Use a fine tooth comb (it makes a huge difference!) to make a neat middle part and work the two halves of your hair into two tight, very clean, low braids. Pull the braids up and around the top of your head, securing them with bobby pins and hiding the ends underneath the braid from the opposite side. Getty Images WireImage.com THE EDITORIAL BRAIDSeemingly-impossible plaits usually reserved for magazine spreadsLook 1: Fishtail BraidsFishtail braids are a variation of French braids: Instead of incorporating each new hair section into the braid, let it go after twisting it over the braid, and grab a new section in its place. They take a little practice but once you've got it, it's a piece of cake. The version on the left was shaken out for a messy effect. Look 2: Braid-ElasticsSmooth hair into a high, side ponytail, and separate out a bottom section of the hair to make a small braid. Wrap the ponytail around itself to create a bun. Finally, wind the braid around the base of the bun to hide the elastic, securing the end with a bobby pin. Imaxtree.com Getty Images THE HEADBAND BRAIDLook 1: Multibraid BandFor Blake Lively's pretty look, make three to four small braids along an uneven part, securing the ends with small elastics and hiding them under your hair with a bobby pin. Look 2: French Braid BandTo get Lauren Conrad's look, (hint: it's a great tactic for growing-out bangs!) side part your hair and create a small french braid in front, framing the face for a headband effect. Secure the end of the braid with a small elastic. WireImage.com THE SIDE SWEPT BRAIDThe secret here is to keep things loose as you brush your hair to one side and create a low braid, pulling pieces out of the plaits for a nonchalant, messy effect. For a more for romantic look, twist the bottom of your hair (along the hairline) into a roll and secure with bobby pins as needed. IMAXTREE.com Now that you've mastered braids, styling your hair into this runway look should be no problem (kidding!). With braids, practice makes perfect. If your style isn't wearable on the first go (and odds are it won't be), try it again until you've got it down.

Ask An Expert: Jack Bauer

Yowza, we nearly let March Madness slip by without inviting even but one of our favorite minds to talk some hoops and lay down their perspective on the tournament. This year, we're gonna try to catch up with Jack Bauer on his cell phone. We all know he has some pretty busy days, so hopefully we can catch him. Let's get him on the horn...Me: Jack, it's Entwistle. Got a second?Jack Bauer (whispering): Go ahead.Me: So it's down to the Final Four, what do make of the Road to Detroit thus far?Jack Bauer (whispering): The Road to Detoit? One second. Chloe, it's Jack. Get me the schematics on Detroit International Airport. There should be an access road leading us to Gradenko.Me: Not an access road, you know the NCAA tournament? This season it is in Detroit, do you think that provides Michigan State with an inside advantage?Jack Bauer (whispering): There's a breach inside the FBI? I don't know how they got through the firewall, but our infrastructure is exposed. Somebody must have gotten a hold of the CIT device? This never would have happened at CTU.Me: I bet it was Goran Suton. He seems like a terrorist.Jack Bauer (whispering): Chloe, I need you to run a cross reference on a Goran Suton with Victor Brazen and Andre Drazen. We may have a mole on the inside.Me: What do you make of UConn's chances to take over and win this thing? Hasheem Thabeet seems like the real deal?Jack Bauer (whispering): We have reason to believe that Hasheem Thabeet is working with Dubaku and the Sengalis. I need to call Tony Almeida.Me: You know what you should do? Go back to 1985 when you were awesome. Speaking of 1985, how annoying is all this talk about Villanova's 1985 season? Do you have idea how long ago that was?Jack Bauer (whispering): I'm only like 7 days old.Me: What ever happened to your daughter? She was the only reason I watched the show and now it sucks, but I still watch it, because I feel obligated or something?Jack Bauer (whispering): She moved in with the original kidnapper from season 2, you know the guy who looked like Johnny Drama.Me: How come CTU is supposedly closed, but everybody works in the exact same building and does the exact same stuff?Jack Bauer (whispering): Things aren't always as they seem. Harris Barnes is actually Habib Marwan.Me: Did you ever notice that if you do a google image search for Roy Williams, all the entries are of the wide receiver and none of the basketball coach. Do you think he has a CIT device or something?Jack Bauer (whispering): Shut up before I snap your arm in half...Me: Fine.Subscribe to us