6 Pretty No-Bake Desserts Anyone Can Make

Good news for hot days: You can (not) bake your cake and eat it too with these easy summer dessert recipes.

Blueberry Angel Food Trifle Serves 8 or more
• 8 cups cubed angel food cake, from a 12- to 16-ounce store-bought cake
 • 4 cups prepared vanilla pudding
 • 4 cups blueberries
 • 2/3 cup heavy cream
 •1 tbs. powdered sugar
 •1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

  Spread one third of cake cubes in bottom of large trifle bowl (or any deep 3- to 4-quart bowl). Spread one third of pudding over cubes; top with one quarter of blueberries. Repeat twice, finishing with third layer of pudding.

 Whip cream with sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over top; garnish with remaining blueberries. Refrigerate trifle for at least 2 hours, or up to 24, before serving.


Retro Cake
Serves about 20
• 30 chocolate wafer cookies
• 3 tbs. cold water
• 1 packet (1 tbs.) unflavored gelatin
 • 3/4 cup frozen raspberries
• 3/4 cup frozen blueberries
 • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups cold heavy cream
•1 tsp. vanilla extract

 Line 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil. Cover bottom of pan with cookies (about 20), breaking them as needed to cover pan. Pour cold water into small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over water; let sit for 2 minutes.

Combine raspberries, blueberries, and sugar in medium heavy saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm to the touch. Stir in gelatin mixture. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Mix heavy cream and vanilla in large bowl; beat using electric mixer until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently fold in cooled berry mixture, taking care not to deflate cream.

Pour half of berry filling into prepared pan; smooth with rubber spatula. Insert remaining cookies into filling vertically (for a pretty cross section when you slice cake later). Spread remaining filling over cookies; smooth with spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.


Deepest Chocolate Mousse
Makes six 1/3-cup (75-ml) servings. Gluten-free.
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup freshly brewed strong coffee
• 6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt Unsweetened whipped cream, to serve
 In a small saucepan, warm the milk and coffee over medium heat until the mixture just comes to a simmer.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof glass or metal mixing bowl and pour the milk and coffee mixture over it. Stir once, then let stand for 5 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into a blender and add the eggs, rum, vanilla, and salt. Blend until well combined. Pour into six small cups or a 1-quart dish and chill for 2 hours, or until set. Serve with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.


Key Lime Pie 
Makes 24 treats

Crust
• 2 cups (4 ounces) salted pretzel sticks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

 Filling
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened (try light or reduced fat)
• 1/4 cup fresh Key lime juice
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon Key lime zest, plus extra for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup homemade whipped cream or store-bought

Line a mini muffin tin with foil or paper liners and set aside. To make the crust, combine the pretzels and sugar in a food processor and process until medium crumbs form (do not overprocess into a powder), about 30 seconds. Add the softened butter and process until the mixture begins to thicken.

Transfer to a clean bowl. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Press the mixture against the bottom and sides of the cups to form pie shells.

Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. For the filling, combine the cream cheese, Key lime juice, condensed milk, lime zest, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix well with an electric mixer or food processor for about 4 minutes, until completely combined.Spoon the mixture into the prepared shells. Tap the pie pan against a hard surface to even out the filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Garnish with the whipped cream and the lime zest.

Star Bursts
Serves 8 or more
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 15 ice-pop sticks, cut in half
• 30 Starburst candies

Put yogurt, lemon juice, and orange juice in bowl. Stir with rubber spatula until evenly blended. Spoon mixture into ice cube trays, filling each slot about three quarters.

Tap tray on hard surface to even out mixture. Insert blunt end of each ice-pop stick into a Starburst; place one in each ice cube slot. Tap tray against hard surface again to even out. Freeze for 4 hours or until solid. Carefully flex tray to release pops.

Gingersnap and Cinnamon Icebox Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes.
• 48 crisp gingersnaps
 • 1 1/3 cups cream
 • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
 • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to garnish
 • Pinch salt

Set out twelve paper or foil muffin-cup liners and place a gingersnap in the bottom of each one. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer), whip the cream with the sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until the mixture holds medium peaks.

Spread a spoonful of cream over each gingersnap, and top with a second cookie. Repeat until you have four gingersnaps and four layers of cream in each paper liner.

Dust with cinnamon (tap it through a fine-mesh sieve) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The cookies will almost certainly have softened to a cakelike texture, but you can test one by inserting a knife in the center to make sure it goes in easily.

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

Quartered peanut butter cups top this rich smooth pie from Rhonda McDaniel of Rossville, Georgia. "It's always a hit at gatherings," she says. "It saves time, too, because it can be made in advance and frozen until needed."

Ingredients

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

2/3 cup whipped topping

14 peanut butter cups,divided

1 chocolate crumb crust (9 inches)

Directions

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Fold in whipped topping. Coarsely chop half of the peanut butter cups; stir into cream cheese mixture. Spoon into crust. Quarter remaining peanut butter cups; arrange over the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Get Your Antioxidants in the Morning

Coffee’s not only our morning wake-up call, it’s also the No. 1 source of antioxidants in our diets, outpacing even cranberries and red grapes. Mind you, cranberries, grapes, and other fruits and vegetables are much higher in antioxidants than coffee, but we don’t consume as much.

Skip the Lemon at a Restaurant

Never ask for lemon in a drink. Everybody touches them. Nobody washes them. We just peel the stickers off, cut them up, and throw them in your iced tea.

-Charity, Kansas City waitress

Our tip: Squeeze the lemon into your drink and then leave the rind on the cocktail napkin.

Oven-roasted Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Impress your dinner guests with this lovely dish

Ingredients (serves 6)
245g ricotta cheese
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Pinch of dried oregano
6 boneless chicken breast halves, with skin
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Grease a large baking dish.
2. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, walnuts, parmesan, breadcrumbs and oregano.
3. Loosen the skin on the chicken breasts to form a pocket in each, then stuff with the mixture. Arrange stuffed breasts in a single layer in prepared dish. Brush tops with oil.
4. Bake for 45 mins, or until they are cooked.

Jambalaya

The spicy tomato flavour and aroma of this one-pot rice dish make it really appealing. Tender chunks of fish, juicy prawns and plenty of vegetables all combine to make a well-balanced, complete meal.

Ingredients

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 head of celery, finely diced and leaves reserved for garnish
1 red capsicum, deseeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
11/4 cups (250 g) long-grain rice
2 × 400 g cans chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
300 g skinned firm white fish fillet, cut into four pieces
8 peeled raw prawns
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 lemon wedges

Directions:

1. Put the oil in a large, deep frying pan and heat gently. Add the onion, garlic, celery, red capsicum, chilli and cumin. Cook, stirring often, for 10–12 minutes until softened. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

2. Drain the tomatoes in a sieve over a heatproof measuring jug or bowl, then set aside. Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Add the tomatoes to the rice, sprinkle the thyme over the top, stir well and reduce the heat a little.

3. Make up the tomato juice to 1 litre with boiling water, pour into the pan and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

4. Season the rice to taste, then place the pieces of fish on top. Continue cooking, partly covered as before, for 5 minutes. Stir the rice carefully and turn the fish over, then add the prawns. Partly cover the pan again and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the prawns have turned pink, the fish pieces are cooked, and the rice is tender. The dish should be moist, not dry.

5. Remove from the heat, cover tightly and leave for 5 minutes. Scatter the celery leaves and parsley over the top and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.

Chocolate Cakes With Liquid Centers

Serve these easy-to-make molten chocolate cakes to impress your Valentine

Nothing says 'I love you' like this rich chocolate delight.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
4 squares bittersweet chocolate (1 ounce each)
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons all purpose flour

How to make it

1. Preheat oven to 450°F; butter and flour four 4-ounce ramekins.

2. In top half of double boiler set over simmering water, heat butter and chocolate until chocolate is almost melted.

3. Beat eggs, yolks and sugar until light colored and thick.

4. Mix chocolate and butter, and slowly pour into egg mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in flour until just combined.

5. Pour batter into molds and bake for 6 to 7 minutes. Cake centers will be quite soft. Invert molds on plates. Let sit 15 seconds. Unmold. Serve immediately with whipped cream.

Steamed Green Tea Cake with Black Sesame Seeds

A healthy and and easy-to-make dessert

Ingredients (Serving 6)

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons powdered green tea
6 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 egg whites
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds, garnish

Directions (Cook time: 20 Min)

1. Set a bamboo steamer large enough to contain a 9x9 inch pan over simmering water. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and green tea powder. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, water and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until mixture has tripled in volume. Fold in the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

3. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold whites into the egg yolk mixture. Pour batter into the cake pan.

4. Place cake pan in steamer. Stretch a kitchen towel over the cake pan without touching the surface, then cover with steamer lid. Steam cake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and cut into pieces before serving.

Malay Spicy Tomato Chicken ( Ayam Masak Merah)

A spicy and sweet dish popular in Malaysia and Indonesia


Ingredients Serves: 4

1 (1 1/2 kg) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 pinch salt, to taste
1/4 cup dried red chillies
3 fresh red chilli, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red onion, diced
1 (3cm thick) slice fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons sunflower seed oil
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole star anise pods
5 whole cloves
5 cardamom seeds
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste
1/2 cup (125ml) water

Preparation method

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 35 mins
1. Rub the chicken with turmeric powder and salt. Set aside.

2. Soak the dried red chilli in hot water until softened. Blend the softened dried chilli, fresh red chilli, garlic, onion and ginger in a blender to a paste.

3. Heat the oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil until golden on all sides. Remove the chicken from the fry pan and set aside.

4. Remove excess oil from the fry pan leaving about 1 tablespoon. Cook and stir the chilli paste with the cinnamon, star anise, cloves and cardamom seeds until fragrant. Return the chicken to the fry pan.

5. Stir in the water adding more if needed. Toss in the tomatoes and stir in the tomato sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear; about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Coffee Cake

A delicious coffee cake for your day

Yield: 12 servings

What You Need

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup white sugar

What to Do

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Lightly grease one 10 inch bundt pan.

2. Cream 1 1/2 cups white sugar together with eggs until well blended. Add sour cream and butter or margarine and beat well. Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder and mix well. Stir in vanilla and the chopped nuts.

3. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup of white sugar with the cinnamon.

4. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Cover with remaining cake batter.

5. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 8 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake for an additional 40 minutes.

French Omelet

This cheesy omelet is so hearty and rich-tasting that mom will never guess it's low in fat

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 10 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup egg substitute

1/4 cup fat-free milk

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup cubed fully cooked lean ham

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1 tablespoon chopped green pepper

1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

How to make it 20 minutes

1. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, egg substitute, milk, salt and pepper. Coat a 10-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add egg mixture. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath.

2. When eggs are set, sprinkle ham, onion, green pepper and cheese over one side; fold omelet over filling. Cover and let stand for 1 minute or until cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information(per serving)

Calories: 180 | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 230mg | Sodium: 661mg | Protein: 20g | Fiber: trace

Diabetic exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 fat

10 Quick and Easy Ways to Use Strawberries

1. Chocolate Bites: Dip 1 lb. strawberries into 8 oz. melted semisweet chocolate. Roll in chopped nuts. Place on parchment paper and chill.

2. Strawberry-Avocado Salsa: Combine 1 cup finely chopped strawberries, ¼ cup finely chopped and peeled avocado, 2 tbsp. finely chopped red onion, 2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, ½ tsp. grated lime rind, 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice, 2 tsp. finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper, and ¼ tsp. sugar. Toss gently. Serve immediately.

3. Strawberry Margarita: Blend 1 cup strawberries, 6 tbsp. tequila, 2 tbsp. triple sec, 2 cups crushed ice, and ¼ cup limeade concentrate.

4. Berry-nana Smoothie (non-alcoholic): Blend 1 very ripe banana, 1 cup frozen strawberries, ½ cup yogurt (plain, vanilla, or lemon), ¾ cup orange juice or apple juice, 2 oz. soft tofu (optional), and 1 to 2 tbsp. honey. Puree until smooth.

5. Strawberry Vinaigrette: Combine 1 cup strawberries, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 tbsp. champagne vinegar. Chill 1 hour. Liquefy. Add salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp. olive oil. Blend.

6. White Chocolate Fondue: Combine 1 cup heavy cream and ½ stick unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add two 12-oz. packages premier white chocolate morsels. Stir until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Transfer to a fondue pot, chafing dish, or ceramic bowl. Serve immediately with sliced strawberries.

7. Fruit Butter: Beat 2 sticks softened butter, ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, and ¼ tsp. salt about 1 minute, until light. Fold in ½ cup chopped strawberries. Serve chilled.

8. Strawberry Parfait: In a chilled medium-size bowl, whip 1 cup heavy cream with 2 tbsp. sugar and 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice. Gradually add 2 more tbsp. sugar and 1 more tbsp. lemon juice, whipping until the cream is thick but not over-whipped.

Alternate layers of whipped cream and sliced strawberries in four 8-ounce parfait glasses. Top each treat with a dollop of cream and lemon zest.

9. Strawberry Ice Cream: Blend 3 cups strawberries and the juice of ½ a lemon in a food processor. With a mixer, whip 1 ½ cups heavy cream and 2 tsp. vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Slowly add 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk and whip until very thick. Fold in the berry mixture. Seal and freeze until firm.

10. Strawberry Banana Delight: In a small bowl, dissolve one 0.3-oz. package sugar-free strawberry gelatin in boiling water; cool for 10 minutes. Add enough water to 6 ice cubes to measure 1 cup. Place gelatin and ice mixture in a blender; cover and process for 1 minute or until ice cubes are dissolved. Add bananas; process 1-2 minutes longer or until blended. Pour into four dessert dishes. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until set. Garnish each with 1 tbsp. whipped topping and a strawberry.

Salted Egg Yolk Prawn

A tasty treat for all

Ingredients (4 servings)

500g medium-sized prawns

1 salted duck egg

1 chicken egg

1/2 cup plain flour

4 teaspoons corn flour

1 teaspoon oil (for batter)

1 teaspoon oil (for frying yolk)

1 tablespoon butter

oil for deep frying

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Steam the salted egg. Remove shell and egg white. Use only the yolk. Mash and set aside.

2. Devein and remove prawn shells. Add chicken egg, plain and corn flour, oil, water and whisk into a batter. Adjust water to ensure a smooth consistency. Coat prawns with flour and dip into batter.

3. Heat oil. Put in prawns when oil is hot and deep-fry till golden brown. Set aside.

4. Heat butter and oil. Add salted egg yolk and fry till “bubbles” form. Throw in prawns and toss lightly, ensuring it is all thoroughly coated with salted egg yolk.

Strawberry Banana Delight

Turn a classic pairing of flavors into whipped gelatin.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

You Will Need

1 package (.3 ounce) sugar-free strawberry gelatin

1 cup boiling water

6 ice cubes

2 medium ripe bananas, cut into chunks

4 tablespoons whipped topping

4 fresh strawberries

What to Do

1. In a small bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water; cool for 10 minutes. Add enough water to ice cubes to measure 1 cup. Place gelatin and ice mixture in a blender; cover and process for 1 minute or until ice cubes are dissolved. Add bananas; process 1-2 minutes longer or until blended.

2. Pour into four dessert dishes. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until set. Garnish each with 1 tablespoon whipped topping and a strawberry.

Serves 4

Nutritional analysis: 1 serving equals 78 calories, 1 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 48 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic exchange: 1 fruit.

Soft Oatmeal Cookies

These oatmeal cookies are very moist and simple to bake

Servings: 24

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups quick cooking oats

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Add a cup of raisins or nuts if you desire. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with a large fork dipped in sugar.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

A perfect dessert for family meals and a dinner-party.

Ingredients

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

3 tbs white sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 (10 ounce) packet frozen raspberries

2 tbs white sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 cup water

2 cups white chocolate chips

1/2 cup half-and-half cream

3 (8 ounce) packets cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Mix cookie crumbs, 3 tbs sugar, and melted butter in a bowl. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tbs sugar, cornstarch, and water. Boil for 5 mins, or until the sauce thickens. Strain the sauce to remove seeds.

Preheat oven to 165 degrees C. Melt white chocolate chips and cream in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water.

In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half the batter over crust and spoon 3 tbs raspberry sauce over it. Pour remaining batter, and spoon 3 tbs sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.

Bake for 55 to 60 mins. Let the cake cool, then cover and chill for 8 hours before removing from the pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.

Apple Cake

A quick and easy apple cake to satisfy your cravings

Serving: 24

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs, beaten

3 1/2 cups chopped apples

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a large bowl, Sift together flour, sugar, salt and soda. Make a well in the center and add oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix well (batter will be thick). Fold in chopped apples and nuts. Spread into a 9x13 inch pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Glaze while still hot.

4. To make the glaze: In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, milk and butter. Bring to a boil and continue cooking for 2 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over cake while still hot.

Street Food: Heaven on Earth

Find out where you can get the yummiest food in the region

These days, in many parts of fast developing Asia, what with the endless and mindboggling array of distractions or attractions for our social life, asking pals out for a night of bowling and revelry can get you a yawn emotion response in your smart phone :0. But, tell them that the real intent is to eventually linger over supper, and bond over smoky sticks of chicken stay with little balls of grilled egg yolks sitting atop, at Block S in Jakarta, paired with rock sugared jasmine tea, or perhaps platters of tempura mantis prawns and fried sambal (chilli paste) baby clams bee hoon with refreshingly cold baby coconut water at a Telok Gong corner eatery just outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia . . . then you just might get a smiley face response instead.
Food bonds. This is especially so in Asia. And good street food in the region is a religion. If you are so blessed to have friends in the places you visit take you out on local feasting jaunts, then you’ll also know that it’s the secret little street hawker stalls or warung that you’ll end up at, not at some fancy digs. While tucking in, your friends will inevitably tell you stories about just how iconic and meaningful these mum and pop outlets are to them.
If the food culture of a city is one of the better ways to experience a new place as a visitor, then eating like a local is the best souvenir you can take home. You get to eat the food and digest the culture at the same time.
The flavours of Asia, particularly in Southeast Asia, are a heady perfection of fused culinary concepts influenced by the three motherland food nations: China, India and Indonesia.
Just think Mee Goreng, a popular Indian style fried sambal noodles awashed in tantalising red. Noodles never traditionally featured in Indian cuisine but it was the Indian migrants who came, saw and subsequently conquered with their version of fried noodles with accents borrowed from China and Indonesia, complete with wok hei (the distinct whiff of a wok in fried noodles).
Say “Laksa”, and a friendly war on food will erupt between Singapore and Malaysia, the region where the Peranakans, or Straits Chinese, fostered and grew their culture and legacy. Both countries lay claim to the dish’s origins although each has versions not commonly found within the other’s border.
Laksa, in its many incarnations, is a Peranakan culinary icon, one of the few rare dishes of the Nonyas (Peranakan womenfolk), which found its way to the streets years ago.
Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and even Middle Eastern culinary concepts are found easily across Asia. But it was that almost desperate and genius melding of flavours that gave Southeast Asia an exciting edge. Fusion came to its streets way before the word was associated with dining. Today, street food here is a multisensory pleasure. It’s about taste, texture, colour, variety, value, flavours that say “home”, plus basic hygiene, unassuming décor and fast service.
Asians are skilled cooks and standards can be very high. So to be bowled over by street food, a hawker has to dazzle them with technique, speed and flavour. On top of that, the food has to be cheap. So cheap, in fact, that eating out will make more economic sense than cooking at home. It helps if the dishes are comforting, unique or are created with familiar flavours and ingredients.
It’s cheap and easier to eat out in places like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and even Taiwan. There’s no washing up after eating, no trips to the market to pick up ingredients, no messy food preparations and even better, no parking woes. Put simply, it’s street food heaven on earth!

The Most Important Foods to Buy Organic

Organic food is less ubiquitous than pesticide-covered produce. It can also be pricier. But if you are eating any of the following foods, it’s worth buying organic, as they are more saturated with pesticides than any other foods.

Potatoes

Potatoes often retain pesticides even after they are washed and peeled. Almost 80 percent of potatoes contain pesticides.

Baby food

Babies are the most vulnerable to pesticides, and they eat a lot of this.

Milk

Dairy cows are routinely fed hormones, antibiotics, and pesticide-covered grains, all of which can end up in your milk. The higher the fat level of the milk, the higher the level of pesticides. And toddlers drink lots of whole milk.

Apples

Apples are near the top of the high-pesticide-level list. They’re also a favorite of kids; apples, apple juice, and applesauce are among the most common foods eaten by children ages 1 to 5, according to a USDA survey. So buy organic if you can.

Meat

Animal feed is often laced with antibiotics and synthetic growth hormones. Residue from these chemicals may still be present in meat. The use of antibiotics in food production could contribute to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Nectarines

About 97 percent of nectarines have been found to contain pesticides, according to the USDA.

Spinach

Spinach and lettuce have lots of surface area for pesticides to cover. More than 83 percent of spinach contains pesticides.

Peaches and pears

Nearly 94 percent of peaches and pears contain pesticides. Peaches are number one on the Environmental Working Group’s list of foods with the most and the highest concentration of pesticides.

Strawberries

Thin skins make fruits particularly vulnerable to pesticides. Some 90 percent of strawberries contain pesticides.

Bell peppers

Peppers absorb pesticides like a sponge. About 68 percent of peppers contain pesticides and many are imported from countries with looser standards than the US has.

Eggs

Pesticides may pass from chickens to eggs, and from there to the many foods you make with them. Organic eggs com­e from birds that eat organic feed and are not pumped up with growth hormone or dosed with an­tibiotics.

Imported grapes (from Chile, etc)

Some 86 percent of these grapes contain pesticides. And it’s pretty hard to peel a grape.

The Perfect Brew

Benjamin Franklin once said that beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. LUCY CORNE goes in search of that happiness.

Some of mankind’s greatest discoveries have been happy accidents. Newton sat under an apple tree, Archimedes jumped in the bath and about 6000 years ago, some absentminded Mesopotamian left a loaf of bread out in the rain.

For whatever reason, said Mesopotamian chose to eat the soggy loaf and was rewarded with a buzz he felt could only have been a gift from the Gods. Now, if he could only replicate this high, but in a more aesthetically pleasing manner – perhaps in a liquid form for easy consumption?

A romanticised version of this discovery perhaps, but it’s generally accepted that the first beer was not a preplanned event.

I wouldn’t fancy munching on a soggy sandwich, but I wholeheartedly thank whoever it was that did it and later scribbled down what is now considered the world’s oldest written recipe – that for a pint of beer.

Since this fortuitous mishap, brewers across the world have been adding to, adapting and modifying the basic barley, yeast and water recipe, substituting the grain for wheat, rice or millet and adding anything from berries or citrus peel to chocolate, and even chillies and pepper.

Brewing is really just liquid cookery – basic science with a little poetry mixed in. You start with two humble ingredients: crushed malt and warm water. Let them sit for an hour or so to make a mildly sweet, tea-coloured liquid known as wort. Drain and keep the liquid, feeding the spent grain to a friendly pig, should you have one on hand. Boil your wort, season with hops (the brewer’s equivalent to salt and pepper) and simmer for another hour.

Filter then cool your near-beer quickly to stave off bacteria that’ll turn your brew into undrinkable filth. Once cooled, add yeast. Find a cosy corner for your fermenter and wait for the magic to happen.

It takes anything from a couple of days to a couple of weeks for the liquid to transform into fine amber nectar. Be patient, unless you’re yearning for a barely palatable drink high on sugar but low on alcohol. Once ready, carbonate, chill and serve.

Much like national cuisine, beers vary as you travel, from Belgium’s potent, fruit-enhanced varieties to Ireland’s chocolaty stouts. East Asian brews favour rice as their grain of choice. But whether the tipple on offer is an ice cold pint of lager or a milky bucket of low alcohol millet beer, one thing is clear: beer straddles borders more than any other boozy beverage.

Many countries serve up a signature drink, often revealing their prize crop (rice in the east gives soju, sake or baijiu while Latin America’s sugar cane makes rum their pick-me-up of choice). Indeed, a country can be embodied in its symbolic beverage. But wherever you are there’s one drink you’re guaranteed to find in one guise or another, even when the culture dictates it be an alcohol-free version: beer.

So just what is it that places beer among the world’s favourite drinks, right up there with other heavyweights: water, coffee and tea?

For one thing, it seems so much more, well, civilised to invite someone to join you for a beer. Asking acquaintances out for champagne or cognac appears pretentious, cider seems a little bumpkinish and asking friends to join you for post-work vodkas just makes you look like a drunk.

But the question ‘do you fancy a beer?’ almost always seems appropriate, provided it’s in the pm, you’re not driving, taking care of kids or performing keyhole surgery. And beer is such a jack-of-all-trades kind of drink. More refreshing than wine, not as hardcore as whisky, more grown up than juice and more down to earth than a cocktail, ordering a beer just always seems to fit.

Since the fateful day when that loaf got left out in the rain, beer has managed to make its mark on the globe. The humble pint has spawned its own etiquette, given birth to customs both extravagant (Oktoberfest) and sublime (post-work Friday beers). It’s even contributed to the way we speak (see box below)!

In its over six millennia of existence, the amber nectar has caused riots, been used as currency, launched all manner of ludicrous laws and given some of the great thinkers of our time their most memorable citations.

And so to end I will turn to the very apt words of US president Franklin D Roosevelt, uttered as he repealed Prohibition in 1933: “I believe this would be a good time for a beer”!