Monday, April 02, 2007

More Money Spent on Cooking Related Stuff, in Pantry Magic etc

Actually, I wish I had a larger kitchen, or more storage space. So many things to buy, so little space to keep.

During my recent trans Malaysia sojourn for the annual filial ritual of Qing Ming, dad, son and me traversed more than a 1000km. Starting from KL to JB, popping over to Singapore to visit relatives, back to JB, then to Kuantan, and Kuantan back to KL. Our hotel in JB was next to Kotaraya complex, and don't underestimate these small town supermarkets. (ok ok, JB is hardly a small town...but you know what I mean). I have been looking for a long time now, for an EIGHT inch, ie, 20cm, springform pan, but they seem virtually impossible to find. The ones in Chang Tung are 9". And not cheap. So, I was thrilled to find in the supermarket there an 8" springform pan, non stick and all, for only RM14.90!!!

But of course, that wasn't the highlight of my culinary quests. I had all but given up hope of being able to pop over to Pantry Magic in Holland Village. We got into Singapore at 5pm, dinner was about 7pm, and I was told not to venture to those parts from where we were, coz of the jam. Killed time by wandering around the neighbourhood mall, in Upper Thompson Road. Then, miraculously, after dinner, dad wanted to hang around to spend time with his brother, and my cousin offered to drive me to Holland Village...(after I innocently asked for directions). Ah, relatives, they're always so hospitable.

So, with eager anticipation, we went there. Its brighly lit, located on the corner of Jalan Merah Saga, with a misleading back entrance, .....anyway, entering the shop, you'd think you were in some Caucasian country, as almost all the customers were caucasian. It's similar to the one I went to in Peddler Street HK last year, but bigger. I dunno if the latter has been renovated since. Lots of silicone ware, ceramic ware, that rotary cheese grater that Nigella uses. I had to stop myself from going overboard. Also, I kicked myself for not having my OCBC card, which entitles you to 10% discount. ARGH!!!! There goes two pieces of cake. Scanpans, silpats, trendy looking weighing scales, assortment of knives, thermometers, normal baking pans....

Finally, I settled on a few items that I usually would use, and guess what?? I managed to find my SQUARE PIE TIN!!!!!! See PIE ARE SQUARE post. Very expensive, SD29, but what the heck, since I was already there. Also got a silpat kinda mat, a digital thermometer to stick into wherever, a silicon pastry brush, a silicon oven mitt.


Bear in mind that my normal camera is konked, and I'm using a cheap chiplak camera.

Also, from the recent MPH 20% sale, I managed to get these books. Delia is really good for beginners, like me. At RM101 per book, it is not something affordable without a sale. However, they are hard cover and have nice visuals.

21 comments:

boo_licious said...

Ok, must quiz you on the prices esp the digital thermometer which I have been looking for. Big sigh! I was hoping to stay longer in Spore to shop when I visit but just heard this morning it has to be lightning visit - fly in and spend only a day. Aiyah, I can imagine me lugging all these items on the plane and the people quizzing me left right and center. Yikes, does this mean I have to check in my luggage as I want to get Bourbon vanilla too!

fatboybakes said...

Silicone grabber = $14.40
Digital Thermo = $13.80 (cheap hor)
Silicone Brush = $4.70
Square Tartlet = $29.10
38x48cm Fibreglass baking mat = $29.10

All in sing dollars.

What is bourbon vanilla? sounds intoxicating!!!! hey, where to buy rose flower water?

Lrong Lim said...

Turned out to be quite a shopping trip, eh...

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

I wuz looking for Delia's cookbooks in MPH 1 U, but couldn't find 'em. Now the sale is over...boohoo!

fatboybakes said...

lrong, yar, it WAS quite a shopping trip....albeit lightning quick.

lemongrass, that is because, dahlink, I BOUGHT THEM!!!! hahahahahahhahahahaa...evil cackle. that was the last set. didnt i mention you should go mid valley?

boo_licious said...

Bourbon vanilla - high grade stuff. Available at Shermay's cooking school. Digital thermo looks reasonable, the one here was RM50 plus if I am not mistaken at One Houseware.

lemongrass - compensate by just using her website first. If not, whack fbb on the head and steal it from him. I'll grab the stuff he bought from Spore and you take the books. Hee Hee!

fatboybakes said...

sacre bleu!!! i shall never yield her up!! (as in Delia). she is mine!!!

hey, where's one houseware? i just saw that name recently!!! where ah?

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

Boo, u know where fbb lives ar? Tonight, we wear all black like ninja, then pounce on him while he's still asleep. Bring a very big plastic bag...maybe can ta pau a cake or two while we're at it. Fbb...u dowwan to share share, u shall pay the penalty...muahahahaha!

boo_licious said...

lemongrass - I know where! Tnite we go and get the stuff ok?

fbb - joking only but actually hor, you stay quite near me. One hseware is at Kg Baru/Chow Kit area. My fav shopping place for bargains. They just advertised their sale in the Star Metro.

HL said...

what's a silpat?

wah.. quite a loot! btw, did u know that pantry magic's flagship store is in causeway bay.. i think that's even bigger than the pedder street one which I think hasn't changed since your last visit.

fatboybakes said...

lemon & boo, ...boo, you know where i live??? shudder...how can that be?!!!! oooh, i am now gonna have nightmares of two marauding pirates dressed in black accosting me for my pantry magic bag!!!!

hl, silpat is a silicone mat. very handy, no need to grease, can use supposedly thousands of times. good for lining a large pan for cookies, sponges, etc etc

Sam said...

Sigh... reading all your shopping exploits is making me feel like literally freezing my credit card for a while. That wilton shop has cleaned me out... :P
kaypohkaypoh ah,you can get roseflower water (& orange blossom) at Fruit and Nuts Enterprise, Ikano Power Centre, Lower Grd abit further up from the party shop.

Flower said...

I wanna a silpat. Been looking for it here in Perth. I bought a chiplak one here but I still one the ori one. Maybe oneday when I balik kampung, I singgah singapore and shop. Yah, thats a good idea..

fatboybakes said...

flower, the mats in pantry magic are not silpat brand either. actually now i'm wondering if i shouldn't have just bought it from gourmandines here, instead of helping a foreign economy.

SAM, THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! i know that place, but never occured to me that they'll have it there!!! you clever girl you! ooh, what did you buy in wilton?

Tummythoz said...

M not a baker so cannot really relate to these gadgets tho can understand the satisfaction of shopping & getting dream stuff. Luckily got ninja conspiracy to entertain me!

boo_licious said...

I bought my rose water and orange flower water from Iranian supermkt in Ampang. Dirt cheap compared to what Gourmandines was charging. Think these people distribute to Fruit and Nuts. They also own Naab at Bukit Bintang.

fatboybakes said...

whats ninja conspiracy, tummythoz?

boo, i cant wait to check it out. a small vial in gourmandines of orange flower water costs aiyo....40 roti canais?! there's an iranian supermarket? where where? do they sell haloumi, hummus, tabouli, all that stuff? argh, what is that other thing that goes into hummus? made from sesame??? its at the tip of my tongue!!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Sam said...

the fruit&nuts pple drove abit nuts.(ptp!)was looking for pomegranate molasses sometime bk.when i called they sd dont have, when i went there, saw a jar of stuff that looked suspiciously like molasses but the girl sd it was pomegranate SAUCE...hmmmm
bought stuff like kiddy cake pans, gd spatulas,tips, flowr lifter,colour pastes, books from ICCA. had to ask classmate to restrain me from buying fondant rolling pin and toolbox wh cost almost RM100 a piece!

Flower said...

Just like Boo said, you should get orange flower and rose water from any Mid. Easter shop instead of gourment food shop. The Mid. Eastern used this ingredient like we malaysian used belacan. And not forgetting their dried fruits and nuts. We have Mid. Eastern shop nearby our house, and most of this ingredients are dirt cheap. If I want to buy belacan, then I will go to our Oriental shop. Hehehehehe..

Tummythoz said...

There, about lyrical lemongrass & boo_licious's plans to get your goodies-lor.

Izad said...

Thanks for the heads up FBB. I got the Delia How To Cook series from the MPH in Midvalley :) Been looking for those books for a while now.