Jem'apelle Azfar .
Currently 14 going on 15 .
loves to cook .
muslim and malay and proud of it .
loves theatre and the arts .
admires music from the 50s/60s .
i'm just.... i.... well...
I am what I am .
GREETINGS EVERYONE! happy new year! It's been a totally rockin' head-smashing awesome year last year for me. Well, as you may know, this is going to be my first proper post related to food and culinary stuff. For starters, my name is Azfar Bin Maswan, 15. I'm a Malay Muslim living in Singapore and this blog you're on is a food blog. I write food/restaurant reviews, different recipes, and even a some info about my personal life. As you may already expect, i'm a food lover and my passion is cooking. I would want to pursue my career in culinary arts and I would mostly appreciate if you people out there will invite your friends to read my blog. Thank you so much.
So, first up, i would like to review on the Rojak Bandung I ate a few days ago at Ayer Rajah Food Centre. Address: 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent. Dish: Rojak Bandung Power Stall: Rojak Bandung
I personally like this dish because of the generous amount of squid (dried and dehydrated). The KangKong (water spinach) was still crispy and perfectly blanched so it's not too soggy. However, i thought that the sauce can be improved. The sauce was rather runny probabaly because the kangkong wasn't dried thoroughly after blanching. The sauce was also a bit too sweet for my tastebuds and it can do really well with lesser sugar and more crushed peanuts on the top. It can also do better without the styrofoam plate but i'll be quiet lenient on that.
Ayer Rajah Food Centre is a really hawker centre to get delicious local food at affordable prices. Situated somewhere nearby, West Coast Park, this place is very popular especially among the Malay community in Singapore. A lot of stalls there serve Indian Muslim food like Mee Goreng Mamak, Bone Steak and even Indian-style Mutton Chops. Or if you crave for a lighter meal, go ahead with the Rice Porridge served with a range of dishes. Or you can even try the Ayam Penyet there. AWESOME! So, if you're heading south-west, come on down to Ayer Rajah Food Centre and try out these local delicacies that will most probably melt your tastebuds!
(there's a photo of the stall on top of this post .)
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 Wednesday, September 23, 2009
found out these stuff in my inbox. totally hilarious! hope it brightens up ur day! :D - Azfar :)
first post in a LONg time! Tuesday, September 1, 2009 Tuesday, September 01, 2009
yea... i know, i know!!! frustrating, isn't it? alright alright!! i apologize for not updating this purely DEAD blog for a long time... and when I say a long time, i mean, a LONNNNGGGGG time! so, now i'm posting, right? satisfied enough?
It's teachers' day today and that's why I could find the time to blog. I was thinking of what present I should give to the teachers... well, you know me... I'm not the type o' person who gives flowers and all those mushy teddy bears.. So... i decided to bake my favourite CHOCOLATE CHIP AND CINNAMON COOKIES! dang... they were beautiful! and sunday's baking was such a joy... i'm not gonna post the recipe 'cause it's MY special recipe (muahahaha!) but really, a tip to make your cookies crispy is to NEVER overmix your dough after putting in the flour and other dry ingredients... If you do, then cookies will be tough and hard.. As you may know, I'm sorta' turning this blog into a FOOD BLOG cause I love cooking and baking so much! So i'll be posting the recipes on this blog after I cook/bake them.. OK, for starters, here's a dish I made like a few weeks ago. Real simple, real easy to make... And perfect for teenagers like me! These burgers are great alternatives to the unhealthy typical burgers you get from fast food restaurants... since it's homemade, you know what goes in your food! A great way to cut down those calories and achieve an ideal weight!
Homemade Beef Burgers with Potato Wedges!
Patty: 300 g minced beef (you can substitute it with lamb or turkey) A bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon corn flour (just to bind it together) Salt to taste Olive oil
stuff to eat with the patties: 4 slices of cheddar cheese 4 hamburger buns, halved and lightly toasted sauce of your choice (tomato ketchup, hot sauce etc.) (optional) Tomato and lettuce or other vegetables of your choice (optional)
Methods:
1) mix all ingredients for the patties into a bowl. Make sure you mix it real well so the the ingredients are combined nicely
2) divide mixture into 4. take 1 portion and roll into a ball. shape it flat until it looks like a patty. (make sure the patty's not too thick so that the inside will be cooked evenly) do the same with the other 3 portions.
3) heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. place patties on pan and fry for 1 minute on medium heat or until the bottom side is browned. turn the patties over very gently and be careful to not break them apart. cook for another 1 minute. place cheese slices on top of patties.
4) place patties on the buns and garnish with veggies on the top and your favourite sauce.
Potato Wedges
4 potatoes, wedged into bite-sized wedges (preferably russet potatoes) 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil ground black pepper 1 clove garlic, grated
1)Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius 2) Mix all ingredients in a bowl and transfer to tray. 3) Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked 4) Serve alongside burgers
Yeahhh.. cooking's just wonderful, isn't it? so, i think that's about it for today... do try the recipe.. I'll post more recipes next time... till then, buh bye!!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009 Wednesday, April 01, 2009
A New life ahead .
These few days have been so exhausting... really. got sickk today.. absent from schorrendoushool.. maybe i've got too much pressure on myself.. had the SYF Drama Preview on Monday.. acting was okayy.. the school's sound system sucks . it's not our fault that it wasn't loud enuff.. it's just the technical stuff. yeahh. so NOT up-to-standard. the hall's too open and the microphones are horrendous.. well, at least it's just the preview... it's gonna sound WAY better in the SYF itself. and SOME people said that some of us can't act... when we're already so experienced in theatre... and the audience were a bunch of losers.. who don't know how to appreciate theatre..
Anyway, last last weeknd... we made cupcakes! yay! saturday, the Higher malay class went to my house to bake some oven fresh cupcakes... 270 cupcakes that we made... whoah! exhausting! so, Sunday met up at Cikgu Fadilah's house for the frosting! those cupcakes are REALLY Nice! it's $1.50 each by the way.. anyone interested, tag pleasee... and we're selling BROWNIES too! VERY RICH and sweet.. and it's 2 bucks only!
oh oh oh.... and last Sunday was GRRREAT! We volunteered to become USHERS for the WildR!ce production: The importance of Being Earnest at NLB (Drama Centre Theatre) yeahh, sakinah, hadi, sash and me.. we're really Great buddies u noe.. and our job was to sell programmes (production's magazines) to the patrons.. $2 each.. i always love serving guests and customers...:)) it was fun and it was a really good experience... oh and then! we took a pic with EN LAI! yay! he's acting in the production... and just as soon as we were going to leave, he came out from backstage for Dinner... COOL HUH! then hadi, sash and i took a pic with him... Sakinah was too SHY to join in the picture.. muakaka..
PASTA competition is around the corner.. it's this secondary school competition where a couple of students from each school compete at Nanhua high.. and we'll be judged through the Pasta that we make.. i'm pairing up with Rosnaidah... yeahh.. but we haven't decided on any recipe yet.. i did research andd i thought Curry pasta would be nice.. well, i mean, it's creative and healthy too cuz there's yogurt instead of coconut milk. yeah the Taste of the curry will be great.. it's like an East meets West kinda thing.. mmm. i love fusion food..
soryy guys.. that's for tonight.. need to study for the A Maths Test tomorrow! aahh! really getting on my nerves.. -.-" so, i'm gonna end this post with a short poem..
"Life is full of choices Make sure you pick the right one Don't listen to the voices Hear only yours and you have won
Many people will tell you You need to change your looks Don't take to heart their view Fabulous bods are found only in books
There is only one voice That you should listen to It will help make the right choice That is perfect just for you
Your looks are your own Someone will always love you You will never be alone Look in the mirror and you'll see who"
Friday, February 27, 2009 Friday, February 27, 2009
hullo fellow peasants! sorry for not updating often.. i'm REALLY drop-dead tired now.. went to support our debators in the Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championships.. came back at 11.. hadi's father was so kind to send me home.. :P the motion for the debate was : Adultery should be criminalised... our team was the opposition.. and we WON! congrats eh.. i personally think that adulter should not be criminalised.. adultery is a powerful temptation and criminalising it is just against nature.. i mean, won't u get bored having sex with the same spouse? lol.
btw, after debates, adekafiqah, hadi, jc and i went to the girls toilet together since there were nobody there.. it was dark and spooky... the toilet's way cool! spacious and NOT smelly... it's a girl's skool anyway.. then we were like in front of the mirror trying to snap a reflection of ourselves... then we were smiling to the camera and suddenly, "boom". .................................... the lights went off. we were like pausing for a second and then screamed our lungs out.. we ran bck to the classrooms.. phew! but adekk was crying.. she saw a glimpse of white stuff in the cubicle.. WE were like speechless... on the way back, adek was hugging me and hadi.. poor little thing! cnt bear seeing her cry..
anyway, life has been a lot WORSE than i've ever expected it would be.. those losers have been making problems with me... what is their problem? that's the main reason y i set this blog to private.. heheh sorry guys! i just gotta do it.. that JOSHUA KIM never learns his lesson..
anyway, life has to go on isn't it? drama was like so drama.. many was not focusing.. i'm really stressed up.. it's hard being a king okayy?! andd, finally people, i have come to the FINAL DECISION! aTTENTIon!!!! " I'm sacrificing my Thailand vacation so that i can attend the Drama Rehearsal at ACS Barker and volunteer as a chairperson/timekeeper for the debate championships on 13th March" it was really a tough decision, but when i thought about it again and again, i realized that the presence of my friends are much more meaningful then going to Thailand.. moreover, my friends are priceless and they can never be replaced with wealth nor desires..
andd, i'm recently crapping around, being a love guru and pronouncing love quotes to my friends.. hanafi and iqbal shud know wad i mean.. andd i've become a fan of BBC Lifestyle... what more can you offer than the thick accent, mouth-watering recipe shows and fascinating documenteries? and i'm now SOOO into Englist poetry and legends... i just love listening to Old English being spoken...
bythewayy, i went for a Singapore Flyer trip last sundayy with Clementi CC... took a boat ride early in the morning.. took the SINGAPORE FLYER! and ate lunch at Hajjah Maimunah... Whoa! it would've been more exciting with kakak iqah aroundd.. she had to work coz there were lack of workers.. thank God Adil was there... a mouth of a 5 year old like him is really hard to handle! yepp, anyway, enjoyy the pics! (urghh i need to go madrasah tomorrow! boohoo!)
you guyys SOOO gotta read this! Wednesday, February 18, 2009 Wednesday, February 18, 2009
10th grade As I sat there in English class, I stared at the girl next to me. She was my so called "best friend". I stared at her long, silky hair, and wished she was mine. But she didn't notice me like that, and I knew it. After class, she walked up to me and asked me for the notes she had missed the day before and handed them to her. She said "thanks" and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I wanted to tell her, I want her to know that I don't want to be just friends, I love her but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why.
11th grade The phone rang. On the other end, it was her. She was in tears, mumbling on and on about how her love had broke her heart. She asked me to come over because she didn't want to be alone, so I did. As I sat next to her on the sofa, I stared at her soft eyes, wishing she was mine. After 2 hours, one Drew Barrymore movie, and three bags of chips, she decided to go to sleep. She looked at me, said "thanks" and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I want to tell her, I want her to know that I don't want to be just friends, I love her but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why.
Senior year The day before prom she walked to my locker. My date is sick" she said; he's not going to go well, I didn't have a date, and in 7th grade, we made a promise that if neither of us had dates, we would go together just as "best friends". So we did. Prom night, after everything was over, I was standing at her front door step. I stared at her as she smiled at me and stared at me with her crystal eyes. I want her to be mine, but she isn't think of me like that, and I know it. Then she said "I had the best time, thanks!" and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I want to tell her, I want her to know that I don't want to be just friends, I love her but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why.
Graduation Day A day passed, then a week, then a month. Before I could blink, it was graduation day. I watched as her perfect body floated like an angel up on stage to get her diploma. I wanted her to be mine, but she didn't notice me like that, and I knew it. Before everyone went home, she came to me in her smock and hat, and cried as I hugged her. Then she lifted her head from my shoulder and said, "you're my best friend, thanks" and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I want to tell her, I want her to know that I don't want to be just friends, I love her but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why.
A Few Years Later Now I sit in the pews of the church. That girl is getting married now. I watched her say "I do" and drive off to her new life, married to another man. I wanted her to be mine, but she didn't see me like that, and I knew it. But before she drove away, she came to me and said "you came!". She said "thanks" and kissed me on the cheek. I want to tell her, I want her to know that I don't want to be just friends, I love her but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why.
Funeral Years passed, I looked down at the coffin of a girl who used to be my "best friend". At the service, they read a diary entry she had wrote in her high school years. This is what it read: I stare at him wishing he was mine, but he doesn't notice me like that, and I know it. I want to tell him, I want him to know that I don't want to be just friends, I love him but I'm just too shy, and I don't know why. I wish he would tell me he loved me! `I wish I did too...` I thought to my self, and I cried.
this is me right now... sitting with my fingers on the keyboard..
the face of SERIOUS BOREDOM DISEASE...
hello citizens of the EARTH! just now there was this MAT hu came to me like:
MAT: boy.... kau rokok tak? (do you smoke?)
ME: tak uhh... (no)
MAT: ohh.. skola manerh? (which skool u from?) ME: (trying to lie but couldn't because there's no point lying) Unity Sec ah...
lol! okayokay.. random stuff... btw, my parents are having a honeymoon at the suburban parts of JB...\yeahhh.. it's a fishing village called Senibong.. or wateverhh.. yepp.. and we had an ANTI-VULGARITY day this week!
it was started by me and iqbal... although it was my idea..
BUTTTT.... it didn't turn out well, of course...
i said C**AI two times and Iqbal oso and Hanafi oso..
yeppp... at least we said lesser vulgarities than we always do!
muakaka!
ohoh... last sunday the UNEA ppl (including me of course) went to War Menorial Service at the War Memorial Park at City Hall... there were like hundreds of people surrounding this HUGE monument...
iqbal and shafiq was also there cuz they're representing NCC...
poor shafiq, he had to go home for tutition but when he reached home, his tutor cancelled wtfh?! he would be having fun with us. after the memorial stuff, we headed to Suntec City for TDD exhibition and concert... was at burger king for brunch. with Ms Khamilia. we guyys were gossipping about other ppl... and ms k played along!haha.. and we were talking abt private parts and stuffs...
and ms k got frustrated coz it was just so wrong!!
and she bought each of us a Hot Fudge Sundae! thank you ms k!
then me and aisyah were holding hands for a while, pretending to be a couple..
so cute ryte? hehe... the best time for me to take advantage...
anywayy... the weeks passed are undoubtfully stressful...
i try to take things easier and think positive in everything i do...
although i didn't understand the whole chapter of Quadratic Equations...
and got 32% for E Math test, i tried my best to lift my cheeks and go on with life...
andd i just realized that i wrote out of point for my ESSAY!
whuuttt is wrongg with me?!
urghh..
continuing...
Drama was Fun as usual...
although i'm really feeling depressed thinking about my acting and my delivery of words..
i'm not that good u noe...
i need to be more FIRM and SERIOUS in my delivery of lines...
after all, i'm the KING anyway... (*shows off*)
can't wait for my costume!!
according to what Mrs Dew said, it's gonna be a robe,,
i'm gonna have spiky hair and a crown...
COOOL HUH?
andd now my brother's pestering me to cook for him...
does he think i',m his maid?!
kay nvmm,,,, i'm off to bpp now to hv dinner with aunt..
bye!
"The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain signing to it...you and you alone make me feel that I am alive...Other men, it is said, have seen angels, but I have seen thee and thou art enough."
lameness...
me and nora's faces are blocked!
the HUGE monument which touches the clouds in the sky...
ELDDS!.
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