I met Melvyn the videographer recently while filming for Planet Food. As we talked, we thought it would be fun to make some Video Blogs (Vlog) on Singapore Food. Since Nonya food is still very much the rage at the moment, we decided to start with the one dish that I have been curious about ever since watching "The Little Nonya". It's none other than the Rempah Udang. In this Vlog, Bibik Kathryn from Peramakan restaurant will show us how to make Rempah Udang .
Bibik Kathryn grew up in a traditional Nonya family where, very much like the Little Nonya, she was trained to cook since a very young age. She is very meticulous about only using the best ingredients and cooking the traditional way. You only have to taste her food at Peramakan to know how much passion goes into cooking her dishes. Her Beef Rendang is still slow cooked over a charcoal fire and so far is the most tender Beef Rendang I have ever tasted. Rempah Udang
One of the things that used to baffle me when I watched Little Nonya was the fact that they kept saying that Rempah Udang was a dessert. I have eaten many similar snacks which consist of glutinous rice with shrimp filling wrapped in banana leaves before, but I have never considered them to be desserts. So it was quite interesting when Rempah Udang turned out to be sweet! Kathryn explained that the savoury version of the dish is actually known as Pulut Panggang and should not be confused with Rempah Udang. Ah, now at last I know just what Zhor Zhor (Great Grandma in the Little Nonya) was talking about.
Here are the ingredients if you want to make it at home.
Rempah Udang Recipe
Ingredients
Rice
Glutinous rice 500g Bunga Telang juice 1/2 cup Santan 150ml Salt 1 teaspoon
Soak rice overnight and steam with the rest of the ingredients.
Spice Paste
Lemongrass 40g Young tumeric 30g Red chillies (deseeded) 60g Red chilli padi 6 Shallots 70g
Santan 200ml Oil for frying Banana leaves 15cm x 15cm 15 pieces. Blanched in hot water.
This next clip is my attempt at rolling it.
Many thanks to Bibik Kathryn from Peramakan for sharing her recipe with us. Here are the contact details should you wish to order some Rempah Udang from Peramakan.
Peramakan Level 3, Keppel Club, 10 Bukit Chermin Road Singapore 109918 Tel 63772829 www.peramakan.com
There is just one more week to go for the levitating food photo competition! So if you are the type that likes to wait till the day before the exams to start preparing, you got only a few more days to go before you start taking your photos.
More photos have been uploaded and you can view them at www.digitaldreams.com.sg/food. Just a few tips as we move into the final stretch of the competition.
There is a lot of emphasis on creativity, so as long as your food depicts food that is floating in midair, it can be submitted. What we are looking for is a photo which makes you go "Oi! How did he manage to take that picture?". So the more you think out of the box, the better your chances of winning!
Here are two more photos I took using a different technique. See if you can guess how I did this one.
You can still win that Canon Powershot Camera! For competition details, please click here.
Ok, its time to reveal how these series of floating food fotos are taken.
Some of the theories are very imaginative indeed and although I used one specific trick, the other theories just might work as well.
Those of you who guessed that I used a toothpick got it right. This optical illusion is based on the same principles as the Balducci levitation technique which is used by David Blaine in his street magic. Essentially it is just a matter of giving the illusion of a floating object by playing with the line of sight.
Here is my explanation of why this trick works:
1. Most of us assume that the supporting structure would be directly placed under any object, so in this case when the toothpick is placed behind the onion, it just does not seem as if it should be able to balance. When placed at the correct angle, the brain is fooled to believing that the onion is floating.
2. The effect is enhanced by the fact that the background is blurred while the object is clear. Even without the toothpick, it will look very distinct. This is achieved by taking the photo with a large aperture ie a small f stop, in this case f2.8. The blurred effect is also enhanced when it is taken at the zoom end of the lens which in this case is 70mm.
3. It is important for the basket to be in the picture as it serves as a frame of reference to enhance the effect. When we look at the picture, the eye perceives the height of the basket to be around 5 cm and so when the it sees the onion at the same level as the rim of the basket, it enhances the illusion of the floating effect.
On the earlier occasion, I took the pau picture with a leftover pau just when we were about to leave the restaurant. It was just one of those things that suddenly struck me when I was contemplating whether I should just finish off the pau rather than having it go to waste.
The pau is bigger and heavier than the onion, so I had to balance it on 2 toothpicks. I was quite lucky that the toothpicks fit snugly into the gaps of the bamboo steamer. There wasn't much time so the photos did not come out as well as the onion shots. I had to cheat a bit by removing a some shadows with photoshop, which is why I did not show this photo in my first post as I cannot claim that is has not been "photoshopped". If I had a bit more time, I could have just moved my camera just a fraction higher and taken the perfect shot. This angle actually works better than the previous picture I posted.
Anyway, there you have it. Now you too can try taking some levitating food photos.
I spoke with the good people at Canon and managed to get them to run a competition so that you can also showcase your floating food photos on their digitaldreams.com.sg website.
Here are the rules:
1. The theme is levitating food. You can use any technique you like to achieve the effect but please no pies in midair on route to someone's face. It has to look as if it is just hovering in mid air.
2. No alteration of the photo is allowed. The photo must be submitted without being "photoshopped".
3. The photos have to be resized to 800x600 pixels
4. You are allowed to submit as many entries as you like. Entries are to be sent to: greatfoodshots@gmail.com
5. Photos will be displayed on Canon's digitaldreams.com.sg website. (Some photos have already started coming in so you can click on the link to view them)
6. Please include your name, email and contact number when you submit your photos. Put contact number as your filename.
7. Closing Date is 30 April and winners will be notified. The judge's decision is final and so on and so forth, blah blah blah.
Here are some of the prizes you stand to win:
Canon Powershot A1100IS
The grand winner will walk away with Canon's latest A series Powershot A1100IS camera which features 12.1mega pixel images and their latest Smart Auto mode (an improved Easy mode), Motion Detection and Face Detection that can detect up to 35 faces.
Canon EOS 5D Mk II miniature with 1GB flash memory
The 3 best entries will win a Canon EOS 5D Mk II miniature with 2GB flash memory.
Many thanks to Canon Singapore for sponsoring the competition.
You can view the photos at www.digitaldreams.com.sg/food which will be updated regularly throughout the length of the competition.
Remember to submit your photos to: greatfoodshots@gmail.com
I look forward to seeing your levitating food photos!
Read comments from our readers in the previous two posts here and here.
Shot with the Canon EOS 5D MkII with the EF 24-70mm L lens at 70mm The image was resized and sharpened with slight adjustment to the brightness and contrast only
Remember our floating pau? Well, that was taken at a whim at the restaurant. When I got home I got a bit more time to refine the technique and so this is a much better photo of the same technique used with the floating pau. Shot in HD with the Canon EOS 5D MK II with EF 24-70mm lens f2.8
This video will give you a big clue as to how it was done. This clip as not been altered except to to downsize it for uploading.
The concept is the same as some of the illusions performed by magicians.
So any new theories?
The technique will be revealed next week.
Read our readers' theories on the floating pau here.
I just got my hands on the new Creative Vado which has just been released during the last PC show. This is basically a small video camera which has an inbuilt 2 GB memory that you allows you to capture video clips and upload it onto the web instantly.
So as we get into the thick of the Durian season, I thought it would be interesting to film a short tutorial on how to choose a good durian. As with many things, choosing a Durian might seem like a daunting task at first, but once you know a few simple tips, it can really help you avoid being conned.
So do be patient and download this 5 minute clip. You might pick up a few important tips on how to choose a good durian.
To watch a higher resolution clip click here and choose "watch at high quality"
I hope you found that useful. I especially appreciate the bit where Mr Wong explained that one has to choose a Durian that is shapey rather than round and how the shapey ones give you thicker flesh and smaller seeds. Doesn't the deep red colour of the D13 durian just make you drool? Oh, and they ARE very good and worth the $8/kg price tag!
I have always toyed with the idea of adding video clips to my blog but so far it has been too complicated for me to consider it. I have a camcorder that records on DV tape. If I wanted to capture the clip above, I have to bring the bulky camcorder to record the clip, then come home, download it onto my computer, startup a video editing program to change the resolution, size and quality of the clip so that it is small enough to be uploaded and only then be able to upload it to youtube.
With the Creative Vado, all I needed to do was to push a button to start recording, push the same button to stop. Come home, attach the Vado directly into my USB slot, click a special youtube button and voila! It's hosted and ready to be embedded into my blog post.
The Vado's inbuilt 2GB memory can store up to 2 hours of video at 640X480 resolution which looks alright if you connect it directly onto the TV. The resolution on the monitor is similar quality to that of a VCD. I think this is done on purpose to keep the size of the clip small enough to be uploaded directly to youtube without having to downsize it. When you view it on youtube, it is like any other youtube clip which is never as high quality as a DVD video clip.
The Vado also comes with a rechargeable battery which lasts for 2 hours on a full charge. Charging the battery is as simple as plugging the Vado directly to the USB port. So there is no need for an extra charger.
This is a very simple machine to operate. It really has only four buttons and one directional pad. One button to start and stop recording (1) . One button to play (2). One to turn the machine on and off (3) and one to delete your clip (4). The direction keys are used to forward and rewind the clips, change the volume and to zoom in and out during video recording.
When you plug the Vado to the computer, the interface is automatically loaded and you get to choose what to do with the video clip. From here you can either (1) copy it onto your computer or (2) click the youtube or photobucket button to upload your clip directly onto your youtube or photobucket albums. So it really took less than a minute to start uploading my clip onto youtube.
Here's another clip for those of you who are interested to know more about the Mao Shan Wang Durian. Not all Mao Shan Wang are created equal. There are grades of Mao Shan Wang depending on which plantation they come from, the age of the trees and whether the fruit is an early harvest or late harvest. I will let Mr Wong explain more:
To watch a higher resolution clip clickhereand choose "watch at high quality"
Hope you now know a little about Mao Shan Wang. Incidentally, this particular harvest is winding down and the next one starts around 10th July. That is when we can expect a bumper crop of Durians and prices to come down.
I hope you found this short Durian tutorial useful. I had quite a bit of fun filming it with my new toy which is so simple and intuitive that I only took a few minutes to learn how to use it.
Summary
The Pros:
The Creative VADO is an interesting gadget. I think it is useful as a blogging tool because it is portable and easy to capture short clips to upload onto the web. The built-in rechargeable battery and 2GB memory means you don't need anything else but to plug it into your computer. The interface is straightforward and the ability to upload directly to youtube and photobucket make it even easier. The lightweight and small size means I can easily put it into my camera bag rather than having to lug another bulky piece of equipment around. For those who do not carry around a bulky camera like me, it fits right into your pocket. And the best thing is that it is surprisingly affordable. At $169 it seems almost too affordable for a device which would have made James Bond (Sean Connery's era) smile.
The Cons:
At first the resolution of the video might seem less sharp when compared to a camcorder. But when you realize how you always have to reduce the quality of the video to upload onto the web then it makes a lot of sense. However it does mean it will not be able to replace your comcorder if you intend to make DVD quality videos. I feel that a slot for headphones would have been useful as it is difficult to listen to the playback when you are outdoors. It would have been useful to be able to take some still shots as well.
Conclusion
I think the Vado is an excellent tool for blogging purposes and I have been having a lot of fun capturing not only clips of eateries but I also have it in my pocket every time I am out with the family to capture those special moments with the kids. The ease of use, portability and simplicity more than justifies the lower image and sound quality but what I think would astound most people is the unbelievebly affordable price tag of $169 for such a useful gadget! I think we are going to see an explosion of video clips on blogs very soon.
Acknowledgement
Thanks to our Durian expert, Mr Wong who runs a small boutique durian stall at 231 East Coast Road (Opp Jago Close). You can contact him for your durian needs by calling 97514828. At the time of blogging, his Mao Shan Wang was selling for $16 per kg. Having been in the durian trade for 20 years, he has established a good relationship with his suppliers who would pre-select all his durians so that his customers can look forward to a really good durian experience.
This Durian Tutorial was proudly sponsored by Creative Technologies.
You can learn more about the Creative Vado by clicking here.
I have many people writing to me asking for tips on how to take better food pictures and the kind of camera equipment I use. And I also know of some kakis who are thinking about starting their own food blogs but wanting to get some advise on what camera to get. So I thought I would I would share some simple tips on how to make your food photos look more droolsome.
The first thing you need is a good camera. I use a digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) to take most of my pictures but some people might find a DSLR a little intimidating and too cumbersome lug around. So if you are just starting out, you would probably want to buy something that is affordable, handy and takes reasonably good pictures.
Photo taken with the Canon Powershot A590IS
Now let me share with you the One Golden Rule that will instantly make your photos look 100% better:
As far as you can help it - Never take pictures with direct flash!
The reason is very simple. God never created us with a torchlight on our foreheads! So when you take pictures with a flash coming directly from your camera, the photo will look very stark and unnatural. The big difference between the chicken rice photo on the left and the one on the right is that the one on the left is taken with direct flash. So just by turning off the flash, I managed to take a much nicer chicken rice picture on the right.
What that means is that you need a camera that has some manual functions. If you are used to using your camera phone or a slim point-and-shoot camera, then it also means you'll have to learn a few simple tricks.
Photography is all about capturing light onto your "film". Nowadays with digital cameras, the film is replaced by a sensor which essentially turns light into digital signals to be stored onto the memory card. The main problem with photography is to get the right amount of light to fall onto your film. Most of the time, the problem arises when there is not enough light, so the most simple way to get a around it is to use a flash to illuminate the subject. That is what most automatic point-and-shoot cameras do. But by doing that you end up with stark looking pictures.
If you simply turn off the flash on your camera, your pictures will come out too dark unless you are able to tweak some of the settings on your camera. In order to be able to take pictures in low light conditions there are essentially three things you can do:
1. Open up the aperture to allow more light in 2. Keep the shutter opened longer so that more light comes in 3. Change the sensitivity of the "film"
Now I want to keep things simple so I won't go into all the technical details and make you miss your lunch. Essentially, you want a camera where you are able to manipulate some settings. One range you might want to consider is the Canon Powershot series which combines the portability of a point-and-shoot camera with manual functions that are found in a DSLR. I chose the Canon Powershot A590IS because it is one of the smallest and most affordable in the range which still provides all the functions I needed to take a reasonably good picture. Sometimes I too feel a little lazy to lug around my DSLR so this little camera comes in handy.
Don't be intimidated by the manual functions. What you really want to do is to shoot your photos on Aperture Priority (Av - See pic above). That simply means that you determine how big the aperture is going to be (size of hole for light to come in) and the camera will do the rest for you.
Photo taken with the Canon Powershot A590IS
Now a few technical things you need to know.
The aperture size is measured in terms of F-stops. All you need to know is that a small F/stop number eg F2.8 means a big aperture and conversly a large number eg F8 means a small aperture.
When you shoot a picture at F2.8 (ie big aperture) two things happen:
1. You will let in more light so you can shoot without the flash 2. The background will become blurred. (This is good)
Picture A was shot at F2.6 while B was shot with F8. You can see that the background (Arrow) is a little blurred. This is good because it creates a sense of depth and your eyes are naturally drawn to the part of the picture which is focussed. (You want this part of the picture to be the yummiest bit!). Now the thing with most compact cameras is that they use very small sensors. That usually mean that everything appears sharp and that is not good. If you are not convinced that it better to have the blur, than just focus on your computer screen for a moment and tell me if the stuff surrounding the screen is sharp or blurred? So basically, you want to capture on film what your eye naturally sees. Here's another example of this effect which is known as "Depth of Field" which is the distance between where the sharpness begins and ends.
Photo taken with the Canon Powershot A590IS
This picture was taken using Aperture Priority (Av) mode at F2.6. Notice how the M is clear and the how the letters closer to us and further away from the M progressively becomes blurred?
With the Canon Powershot 590IS, I find that setting the Av to F2.6 works well with most of my food shots. There are four simple things to do before taking your shot:
1. Set to Av mode 2. Turn off flash 3. Adjust the aperture to F2.6 4. Turn on Macro mode.
The special Macro function allows you to take close up shots of the dishes which is really what you are doing most of the time with food pics. Using just these four steps, we can achieve a much better result then shooting in auto mode as shown below:
Photo taken with the Canon Powershot A590IS
The picture on the left is taken with the four steps outlined above. The one on the right was taken with auto function. Notice how the noodles are sharp where the chopsticks are and becomes progressively blurred towards the plate(1). Your attention is thus drawn to the area in focus which is the noodles on the chopsticks. This is exactly what we want cos that's the part you are just about to put into your mouth. Notice that with direct flash you get harsh shadows (2) which really spoils an otherwise good picture. Instead the soft shadows should be in area (3) where they occur naturally, giving a sense of depth.
Photo taken with the Canon Powershot A590IS
Here's the picture enlarged so that you can look at the details. I like the way the noodles sort of pop out of the picture and at the same time you can still make out a slightly blurred plate of noodles in the background. So you know this is a bowl of wanton mee but mind is focussed on the luscious noodles on the chopsticks just seconds away from your mouth. I can just feel the texture of the noodles in my mouth right now!
The Powershot A590IS fits well into the palm of your hands but is of course a little bulkier than the slim point-and-shoot cameras. The bigger size makes for better ergonomics and handling is easier if you have big hands. The camera runs on normal AA sized batteries which saves you the hassle of having to bring around a battery charger which is a real advantage when you are traveling. The other really useful feature is the Image Stabilization technology which helps to reduce camera shake when shooting in low light conditions.
The camera is not without its weaknesses. I found that the images are very grainy at ISO 1600, so your images in really low light conditions are not that great. Battery life doesn't seem to last all that long and I have already had to change 2 sets of batteries after a week of shooting.
Photo taken with the Canon Powershot A590IS
Summary
The first golden rule for taking better food pics is to take your photos without the built-in flash. In low light conditions, this can be achieved by manipulating some of the functions of the camera. If you are really keen on taking better food pics, then you will need a camera with manual controls which will allow you to take pictures using Aperture Priority (Av) mode and be able to adjust other settings like the ISO, Macro function and the option to turn off the flash.
Canon PowerShot A590IS retail price $369
Overall, I am quite happy with my Canon PowerShot A590IS. It's a handy little camera that allows me to take nice food pics as well as pictures of my family which I would otherwise miss out on when I don't have my DSLR with me. For $369, it is even cheaper than a lot of slim point-and-shoot cameras but is packed with many of the manual controls that are found on my DSLR. So if you are looking for an entry level Food Blogging camera, you might want to pop down to your nearest camera shop and check out the Canon PowerShot A590IS.
More info and specs on the PowerShot A590IS can be found here
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