Mr Wildy's Musings - MR WILDY'S WORLD

MR WILDY'S WORLD

Dinner Recipe: Chicken & Daikon Nimono

11/5/2020

I had some leftover Japanese radish "daikon" from my Oden dinner a few nights ago, and wanted to finish the remaining half of it. Hence decided to do yet another simple Japanese dish. If you have some radish and leftover carrots or potatoes, you can all of them into the stew for a hearty home-cooked meal with that awesome Japanese flavour.

Read on for the recipe:

Chicken & Daikon Nimono Recipe

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken drumsticks, skinned
½ cup sake
¼ cup mirin
2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used a hicken stock cube)
1/2 a daikon, cut into 1-inch rounds)
1/2 a carrot, cut into 1-inch halves
2 potatoes, cut into cubes
(optional) 150 grams silken tofu, diced into 1-inch cubes
Chopped spring onion, for garnish

METHOD

Combine everything except tofu in a pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. In my case I used a pressure cooker as it's much faster. Just set to "soup" mode.
Stir in tofu to heat through.
Ladle into individual serving bowls, garnish with chopped spring onion (I used coriander in this case) and serve with rice.

5 Ways to Use Balsamic Vinegar

10/5/2020

5 Ways to Use Balsamic Vinegar

In the culinary world, there are always constantly changing tendencies in tastes and styles. As the public's openness to new and special flavors widens, so to must the dishes and chefs who produce them change also. But, despite all of the changes, some things always stay the same. The use of quality ingredients such as. Listed below are five new strategies to use aged balsamic vinegar.

1. In cocktails

A good green vinegar may be utilised in various ways. One of that will please nearly everyone- in a delicious cocktail. With its sweet flavors, it may be mixed with soda water to produce the foundation for some quite sophisticated and flavorful cocktails. Paired with a solid whiskey, the mix can create a very unique taste palette for new and traditional cocktails alike. Try it in your next bourbon or rye whiskey established drink.

2. As a marinade

Creating your own marinade does not need to be a hassle. Start with a tasty green vinegar plus you can concoct your own personal family recipe marinade in no time in any way. Simply using a delicious mustard and a superior balsamic can give you a great jump off stage. Use it to marinate red meat, portabella mushrooms, and even tofu.

3. Create a Reduction

This works well with a high quality aged item. Reduce it down into a sweet and complex flavoured syrup that can be used to sweeten dessert or to add sauces to various savoury dishes alike. The syrup can be drizzled over ice cream or utilised as a loaf, pies, or pastries. The sky is your limit with reductions.

4. As a Broth

Sprinkle some on your next dish that requires a broth and you will notice the complexity it adds. A profound and intriguing sweetness can be added to braised dishes such as baked chicken, spare ribs, brisket, and even pork-belly. Sprinkle a discount to the salad and you've got the perfect side as well.

5. Add to Soups

Try adding a good green vinegar as the base for your routine soup recipe. You will find that a top quality product will include a strong flavor that can bring out the sweetness from the vegetables and yet enhance the salty savoury taste of whatever dish you are making. Rather than using just bullion, replace balsamic or throw in raw vegetables marinated beforehand. There are a multitude of ways in which you can increase your taste profile to the next level.

Who knew that this fixing was so essential and versatile. Use it to enhance all your future meals and also to impress your friends at your next dinner party.

Cooking Today: Thai Steamed Fish with Lime and Garlic (ปลากะพงนึ่งมะนาว)

9/5/2020

I've been shopping at Sheng Siong of late, especially during the Circuit Breaker period. Sheng Siong is well-known for their fresh seafood section, and every supermarket visit I would pass by the section, taking a cursory glance at the great selection of fish for sale. I have always wanted to do cook a fish dish. So, yesterday, while doing my grocery shopping, I decided to get a piece of fish for the Thai steamed Fish with Lime and Garlic. (ปลากะพงนึ่งมะนาว)

It turned out that it was not too difficult to cook this dish (which is often what you order at any Thai restaurants). Very simple and not too complicated. On my first attempt I got the taste all correct - here's the recipe in case you are keen to try it too.

Steamed Fish With Lime and Garlic Recipe (ปลากะพงนึ่งมะนาว)

Pla kapong neung manao (ปลากะพงนึ่งมะนาว), or Thai steamed barramundi fish with lime sauce, is a favorite seafood dish for many Thais. Make this recipe at home and you're in for a real steamed fish!

For the fish:

1 whole barramundi, about 1 - 2 kilos (or whatever size you can get), guts and gills already removed (I got a white snapper instead and it was totally delicious)
5 stalks lemongrass, bottom half only, smashed, and cut into chunks

For the sauce / soup:

1 cup good chicken stock or fish stock (fresh or canned)
2 Tbsp finely chopped palm sugar
8 Tbsp lime juice
6 Tbsp fish sauce (here's my preferred fish sauce)
2 heads of garlic, chopped
Thai chillies to taste, finely chopped
20 - 25 sprigs cilantro, chopped
1- 2 stalks Chinese celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

1. Make sure your fish is scaled and gutted, and then score the fish with 3 diagonal incisions on each side of the fish. Cut off the top halves of the lemongrass, bruise, and stuff the lemongrass into the cavity of the fish. Steam the fish over high boiling water for about 10 - 15 minutes depending on the size of your fish.
2. In a saucepan, heat the chicken stock until it comes to a boil, and then toss in the sugar, reduce heat, and boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
3. Mince the garlic, chillies, and cilantro, and mix into the chicken stock soup, along with fish sauce and lime juice. Stir gently and then taste test. Make sure it's sour, and balanced with a hint of sweetness.
4. When the fish is fully steamed, transfer it to a serving platter (with edges to keep in the soup), garnish with a bed of Chinese celery, and place the fish on the platter. Gently scoop on all the sauce over the fish, putting most of the garlic and chilies on the top of the fish.
5. Make sure you eat with steamed rice!

Stuck at Home? Enjoy Nature with These Live Feeds

23/3/2020

Winding mountain roads, flower-laden valleys and refreshing sea breezes might be calling your name as spring comes to life. But if you are staying home to curb the spread of COVID-19 and can’t get outside anytime soon, nature can still provide you with some much-needed respite from the doldrums of social distancing as well as the stresses of working at home and having children from school. See some amazing live feeds that will connect you with nature. See the world close-up in the comfort of your home.

Take comfort in the magic of character in your TV or laptop with scintillating footage from such livestreams and webcam feeds, many of these powered by Explore.org. Go ahead and bookmark them to have a live feed operating for soothing background sounds as you work.

Airports and train stations are vacant, restaurants and pubs are closed, and major events are postponed, but Mother Nature marches on. New leaves emerge, tulips and daffodils brighten yards, and birdsong fills the air. Throughout our national parks and forests, animals begin their spring migrations, gushing waterfalls put to a show, bears come out of hibernation, and it’s business as usual from the organic world.

REDUCE STRESS

Social distancing introduces a challenge to psychological health, as it disturbs people who might become lonely when separated from loved ones and friends. While addressing mental health within this time is an issue in itself, melancholy, anxiety, and stress can lead to facial breakouts and premature ageing. Taking care of your mental health first is a fantastic way to start your skincare clinics.
Rather than relying on medication, your aim should be to maximise your relaxation before going to sleep. Make sure that your bedroom is a tranquil oasis with no reminders of the things that cause you stress. Avoid caffeine during the evening, as well as excessive alcohol if you know that this leads to disturbed sleep. Stop doing any mentally demanding work several hours before going to bed so that you give your brain time to calm down. Try taking a warm bath or reading a calming, undemanding book for a few minutes to relax your body, tire your eyes and help you forget about the things that worry you.

1. BALD EAGLES AT DECORAH, USA

This bald eagle nest is located near a trout hatchery in Decorah, Iowa. After two of this pair’s nests were destroyed, the Raptor Resource Project team began constructing this nest with the hopes that the eagles would take it over and build upon it–and they have! Watch as they come back each year to raise another brood. The Bald Eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782 and a spiritual symbol for native people for far longer than that. These regal birds aren’t really bald, but their white-feathered heads gleam in contrast to their chocolate-brown body and wings. Look for them soaring in solitude, chasing other birds for their food, or gathering by the hundreds in winter. Once endangered by hunting and pesticides, Bald Eagles have flourished under protection.

2. PANDAS AT WOLONG VALLEY, CHINA

The Wolong Grove live cam at the Shenshuping Gengda Panda Center in China’s Wolong Valley Nature Reserve provides views into 11 different panda yards. Watch as these giant pandas go about their day in this lush bamboo oasis. China Conservation & Research Centre for the Giant Panda conducts research on panda ecology and population dynamics. The organisation is responsible for artificial breeding, genetics, disease prevention, conservation training and release of giant pandas from captivity. The Research Centre also assists in the development of cooperation between other panda organisations in China and abroad.
The giant panda, also known as the panda bear or simply the panda, is a bear native to south central China. It is characterised by large, black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. The name “giant panda” is sometimes used to distinguish it from the red panda, a neighbouring musteloid.

3. ANIMAL WATERING HOLE, MPALA RESEARCH CENTRE, KENYA

Welcome to the watering hole at Mpala Research Centre in the highlands of central Kenya! Watch elephants, hippos, giraffes, Grevy’s zebras, gazelles, crocodiles, leopards and many other species take a drink (or a quick dip). The Mpala Research Centre (MRC) receives hundreds of students, educators, and scientists from around the globe each year, conducting research on everything from parasites to elephants. The unique set up of Mpala allows for researchers to use the land as a ‘living laboratory’ in which to conduct experiments and answer pressing questions on conservation and wildlife.Mpala is also strongly committed to using this research to benefit the surrounding communities, the nation of Kenya, and global conservation efforts as a whole. Mpala hosts multiple educational outreach programs in order to tackle issues of human-wildlife conflict and thus ensure that both conservation and human-livelihood goals are met.

7 Expert Tips for Getting the Best Results from Your SHR Hair Removal Treatment

6/3/2020

7 Expert Tips for Getting the Best Results from Your SHR Hair Removal Treatment

So you have decided to give it a go and try hair removal in Singapore. After reading about the various kinds of hair removal, you have settled on SHR hair removal as it is a newer form of hair removal technology and more effective and less painful than IPL hair removal. A quick search on Google brought you to Wellaholic as one of the leading SHR hair removal treatment chains in Singapore. Congratulations! We look forward to helping you with your hair removal objectives. Nevertheless, how can you fully maximise your SHR hair removal treatment to achieve the best possible results? Based on various scientific journals on SHR hair removal technology and expert panel discussions, we share with you 7 expert tips for getting the best results from your SHR hair removal treatment, including some unique to Wellaholic.

1. AVOID THE SUN. ALWAYS.

We have said this to our customers too often. Always avoid full sun exposure (to the treated area) before and after the SHR hair removal treatment. While you might want to go to the beach to show off your nice and smoothly body, we would caution you from doing that. This is because the treated areas would have been subjected to strong SHR energies in order to affect the hair follicles to stop hair growth. By exposing your skin to the sun, you would be over-stressing your skin, and this may lead to skin complications such as hyper-pigmentation. Always try to give at least a week or two of gap between treatments and sun exposure, and if you really, really need to be exposed to the sun. Use a reliable sun protection, such as our award-winning Wellaholic Daily Sunscreen, Winner of Best Skincare for Best Face Sunscreen (Reader's Choice Awards) by Beauty Insider Beauty & Wellness Awards 2019.

2. YOU NEED TO SHAVE BEFORE TREATMENT

Contrary to what your friends might have told you, you actually need to shave before your SHR treatment. By shaving, you allow the SHR energy to be fully absorbed by the hair follicles, thereby improving the effectiveness of the treatment. Ideally, shaving a day before treatment (most customers do that in the evening prior to their treatment). Nevertheless, there are always difficult-to-reach areas such as the back and the private areas. At Wellaholic, we have our bestseller WellaSmooth Ultimate Plan which includes not only unlimited full body SHR treatment, but also unlimited shaving and post-treatment whitening or hydration with AfterGlow.

3. THE OPTIMAL HAIR GROWTH CYCLE STARTS FROM 28 DAYS

This is one of the most common misconception about hair removal. We do have many customers thinking that after their first session, their hairs will stop growing. This is actually not the case. This is because what happens is that when one follicle dies, there might be another one next to it that may regenerate itself. Hair grows in different cycles so at any time, 30 to 60 percent of the hair is in the anagen growth cycle stage. The laser is targeting the hairs in the growth stage. The dead ones that are dead will shed after a few weeks. By the time you go for your next appointment (recommended 28 days later, to time with the hair growth cycle), the hairs that were in their growth stage will now by in their dormant or dying stage. This is also why we always advise customers to stick to a strict 28-day treatment schedule to see the best results.

4. UPDATE ON YOUR SKIN COLOUR AND ETHNICITY TO DETERMINE THE RIGHT SHR SETTINGS

Lasers work differently on light and dark skins. People with fair skin will fall under Type 1, 2 and 3 and responds best to shorter wavelength (755 nanometers), which is easy on the skin and also effective on light hair. On the other hand, people with dark skin will fall under Type 4, 5 and 6 (where Type 4 is Indian, and Type 5 and 6 being African American). In this case, we will use a wavelength that bypasses the epidermis and has a long pulse like the 1064 nanometers and safe on their type of skin. In short, always sharing with our consultant your hair type and colour, as well as your skin type and colour to allow the consultant to adjust the setting that's best suited for you.

5. YOU WILL NEED 6 TO 12 OR MORE TREATMENTS TO SEE MAXIMUM RESULTS

Laser hair removal is a procedure where a specific beam of light bypasses the epidermis and targets the follicle. This disables the reproductive cycle of the hair without hurting the skin. As laser hair removal destroys the follicle, the hair shaft becomes weak and limp, and with repeated treatments - about 6 to 12 treatments - the follicle dies and no hair grows. For areas with a dense hair follicles, there are more hair follicles to treat, and hence more treatments are necessary to target all hair follicles with varying hair growth cycles. Based on our experience, facial hair and hair at the private areas require 12 or more treatments to fully stop hair growth.

6. CHECK OUT OUR PTT WITH AFTERGLOW IF YOU HAVE HYPERPIGMENTATION ISSUES

If you are suffering from hyperpigmentation issues (common at the underarm areas or the private regions), you might want to consider our PTT with AfterGlow. Further enhance the tone and suppleness of your treated skin with our PTT or Post-Treatment Therapy with AfterGlow. Choose from either Whitening Therapy for hyperpigmented or darkened skin, or choose our Hydrating Therapy for accelerated skin repair from the harsh SHR energy rays. Then end it off with our AfterGlow™ red light treatment which helps to repair and rejuvenate your treated skin.

WHITENING OR HYDRATING? YOU DECIDE

Whitening - With dipotassium glycyrrhizinate which inhibits tyrosinase activity and melanin production
Hydrating - Help calm inflammation and reduce irritation associated with hair removal treatments
AfterGlow - Red light therapy penetrates deeper into the skin than other light wavelengths and is able to rejuvenate skin

7. SEEK OUT A PROVIDER THAT CAN TAKE CARE OF YOUR HAIR REMOVAL NEEDS FOR A LIFETIME, LIKE WELLAHOLIC

While SHR helps to permanently remove hair after 8 to 12 sessions, we have a small number of customers that see hair growth in specific areas after some time has passed. This could be due to their genetics (specifically hair gene Lhx2). We felt that it is not fair for customers to pay a full price again to treat the area again. Our proposed solution: a LIFETIME MAINTAIN MODE for these customers. This Lifetime plan is unique to Wellaholic, and we have not seen any other providers able to offer this to their customers.

If you qualify for Lifetime Maintain Mode, you get to enjoy >50% discount off per-session SHR hair removal treatment rates for the rest of your lifetime! This is our way to taking care of customers who might have completed the SHR hair removal regime but find hairs growing back again some time in the future. With this Lifetime Maintain Mode, you will never have to pay full retail prices for maintenance treatments with Wellaholic!

Light and Darkness

29/1/2020

Beneath the colorful facade
I stood, flanked by two sides of the dark
With a sliver of effulgent light
Shining the way in the day of night
Was this the passage that I should take
Was this the choice that I should make
But yet there was nowhere to go
Just a cul-de-sac of sunlit glow
I paused, pondered and pursed my lips
Into the darkness I made my leap
For I have awaken; samadhi exists
In the midst of darkness, light persists
to edit.

MrWildy's Catsitting Diary

29/12/2019

All the Lovely Cats (and furry ones) that I have Taken Care of Before

Having spent much time (and love) with all the furry ones, I thought I should dedicate a blog post to all the cats and furry ones. All of them hold special meaning to me in one way or another, and for most of them, I have grown closer to them through the house visits, and I certainly hope that I would have the chance to meet them again! I try to help cat sitting and cat visits, and you can find me on Pawshake.

Zorro

It was difficult to snap a photo of Zorro cos he's always moving around. Rather friendly, Zorro was kindly adopted by Shilpa into her family and is now a happy and loving member of her family. While some Singaporeans shun black cats (because of bad luck?), Zorro is a fantastic case of how we should not be prejudiced by the colour and breed of a cat. All cats are affectionate and are deserving of our love, and Zorro (and Shilpa) is a fine example of this!

Poppy and Winston

Poppy and Winston are two really adorable and beautiful ragdolls of owner Kate. Poppy (the one with the white "socks") being the more friendly one would come approach me while Winston usually hides on the upper level. As their fur require a lot of grooming, I bought a brush so that I could help keep their fur in good order and prevent matting. This wasn't easy, especially for Winston, hence after my catsit period, Poppy was the one with the nicer looking coat. Also, over time, she has gotten closer to me -- and I do look forward to meeting them again. Nice ragdolls!

Doufu

Doufu is a shy ragdoll with a really beautiful coat of fur. She's a little shy initially and would hide inside her little cot, but once she's adjusted to my scent she would come out to play. Doufu requires much grooming due to her coat, so when I visited her I always make an effort to brush her fur to prevent any matting.

Wasabi

Wasabi is a really beautiful cat with a soft thick coat and a flurry tail. She was initially very shy and wary of me, but as I took on a long-term house visit of about 10 days, Wasabi got really familiar with me after two or three days. In fact, I think she was rather lonely being alone at home and was very vocal when I visited. Hence I spent more time with her, with the usual daily grooming as well as the brushing.

Tiberius

Tiberius is one of the most affectionate (and manja) cat that I've house visited so far (except for Markiz, which was another really affectionate cat). Tiberius would be waiting for me by the door for my arrival, and then from the time that I enter the apartment, till I depart, Tiberius would be all over me, following me wherever I go. Tiberius is a very sociable cat, and when he realised that I was about to leave the apartment, he would rush to the door to block my departure. Such an intelligent cat!

Bailey

Bailey is a Bengal breed. As Bengals are extremely rare in Singapore, I was very excited to be able to house sit Bailey. She sported a larger frame than most cats, and was certainly agile. I liked the fact on how Bailey would make an interesting cat sound while waiting for her food. Bailey was definitely one of the most athletic cat that I've ever seen (besides my own cat Tigger).

Chi and Gandalf

Chi was a really shy cat and took several days to get familiar with me, and initially I couldn't even get close to Chi. I also helped take care of Gandalf, the Chinchilla living in the glass tank. Fortunately both Chi and Gandalf could get along rather well (as long as they were not left alone in an open space!). Chi has a really demure and gentle character which made her really unique in her own catty way.

Bubba and Padgett

So far, for all the numerous cat visits that I have undertaken, I have always been able to get close to the cat(s) and form a connection with them. The only time that I've failed was with Bubba and Padgette (lol!). Both Bubba and Padgette were really shy cats, and once they hear me arriving, one would hide under the sheets while the other one would make a beeline to the back of the fridge. Because they were rather fearful, I took gradual steps to engage them, but the closest I managed was to take a photo of them without scaring them away. I would definitely like to meet both Bubba and Padgette again.

Chesterfield, Mittens and Paolo

Unfortunately, I was unable to get very close to either of the three cats, as one of them had the tendency to make a dash out of the house. Hence there was great care needed to handle this family of cats. (btw, Chesterfield is a Rabbit).

Boo and Max

I spent a fair bit of time with Boo and Max as well (about two weeks?). Max (the black and white one) is the more friendly and sociable cat while Max is the more wary one. Fortunately, after about four or five days I managed to get closer to Max. They had a tendency to choose on the carpet slippers so I had to keep them out of their sight. Both cats love grooming time and would come to me once I had the brush in my hand.

Markiz

Markiz remains one of the most affectionate cats that I've visited so far. In fact, I did look forward to visiting him, and I also look forward for the opportunity to visit him again. Markiz makes the cutest cat sounds, and he was always seeking attention and human company every time I visited him. Anton, the proud owner of Markiz contacted me for the second time to take care of Markiz but unfortunately I was away on vacation and missed the opportunity to visit him again.

Nheo, Tho and Ginger Sooke and Meng

I did a short cat visit for 5 cats across 2 homes. As this was a really short cat visit, I did not have the chance to spend quality time with all the cats, and while some were shy and wary as usual, a few curious kitties did come out to greet me, which was nice.

DD, Ah Mei and Orb

This cat sitting assignment was a special one as I was requested to take care of DD, a 20-year old cat (not in the picture, out of respect for DD). DD lives together with Orb (left) and Mei Mei (right). As DD was getting senile, the really caring owner wanted to find someone who was able to come between 2pm and 3pm during weekdays to help feed and care for DD. I decided to take on this responsibility for an extended duration, all the way until DD passed away. This experience of cat sitting was a very special one, as I had built a special bond with DD over the many weeks spent together. When I heard of DD's passing, I did cry uncontrollably, and this is a reminder to myself to never take my cats for granted, and to spend quality time with them.

Trotster and Talent

Occasionally, I do take care of dogs as well. Here, I was requested to take care of Trotster and Talent - both Miniature Pinscher. It was an interesting experience for me as I realised that different skillsets were required for taking care of dogs, which was somewhat different from taking care of cats. In particular, Talent was rather territorial and aggressive to a point too, so I had to be very careful in managing both of them.

Luna and Naomi

I did repeated house visits for both Luna and Naomi. As usual, one of the cats, Luna, was the more gregarious and friendly one and greeted me from the moment I stepped in till I left the apartment. On the other hand, Naomi was the really shy one, and it was so difficult to catch a glimpse of her, that I took me a while to make her warm up to me.

Makanholic's Best Wanton Mee in Singapore

25/11/2019

So Makanholic Singapore has compiled a Ranking of Rankings, for the Best Wanton Mee or Wanton Noodles in Singapore. Wanton mee or noodles, is known to originate as a Cantonese cuisine from China, but over the years, it has evolved into the South East Asian variant which is eaten dry and usually with a distinctive chilli paste. In Singapore, Malaysia and even Thailand, wanton mee comprises of dry egg noodles mixed thoroughly with a dark sauce - chilli sauce combination and topped with slices of char siew or fatty barbequed pork, and handmade wanton or shrimp dumplings.

What's interesting about the Makanholic rankings is that they aggregated rankings or "ranking of rankings" compared the rankings from food critics such as DanielFoodDiary, MissTamChiak, SethLui and the popular food blogs and food critics to ascertain the final rankings. This is further refined using the TripAdvisor rankings to decide between the position in case there is a tie.

The Best of the Best Wanton Noodles in Singapore

Hence, if you are an avid wanton mee lover, or if you are seeking out the best of the best wanton noodles in Singapore, you might want to check out Makanholic. They also have the rankings for the best Chicken Rice, the Best Roti Prata and several other rankings too. Check them out!!

Wanton Noodle Rankings

Wakeboarding - Second Outing

13/11/2019

Wakeboarding - Second Outing

Wakeboarding is a tiring activity!
Second outing attempt and still enjoying it, albeit a bit pricey!

Tigger's 7th Birthday

10/11/2019

Happy Birthday Tigger Boy!

Celebrated Tigger's Birthday on the 7th of November. Tigger just turned 7, and it's really amazing that he's spent seven years, or two thousand five hundred and fifty five days with me.

The amazing thing is the fact that Tigger has been sleeping right by my side, with his little square pillow right beside mine, day after day, night after night, without fail. With the exception when I would be away for my vacation.

Hence, if anyone were to ask me, "who's the closest to you?". My unequivocal answer would be "Tigger". Happy Birthday to you Tigger Boy, and may you have many more years of good health and happiness!