Celebrity Life

Is the way to someone’s heart truly through their stomach? This power couples shares.

The post Lee Yung Sheng and Jennifer Liu on their shared gastronomic interests appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Is the way to someone’s heart truly through their stomach? This power couples shares.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Joe Stevens, chief executive of Little Farms shares how the brand has expanded its online sales.

The post Gourmet grocer Little Farms gains from growing health consciousness amid pandemic appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Joe Stevens, chief executive of Little Farms shares how the brand has expanded its online sales.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Sydney’s charm can attract plenty of people to stay and lead a life on their own or with their loved ones. Locals and ex-pats choose the capital of New South Wales as their place to stay because of its booming economy. It houses plenty of major corporations and small businesses that can provide plenty of…

The post 4 Essentials To Consider When Choosing A Meal Prep Service Provider appeared first on The Vivant.

Melbourne is characterized by its geographical location on Australia’s southeastern coast, in the state of Victoria. The Melbourne metropolis covers an urbanized area that sprawls to the Yarra River, the Hinterlands, and extends towards the Dandenong ranges. It is the largest city in Victoria with a total land area of nearly 10,000 square kilometres. Melbourne…

The post Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Fruit and Vegetable Delivery in Melbourne appeared first on The Vivant.

As restaurants begin to open up again – if they open up at all – they will be facing a new set of challenges, new rules and expectations, and more than likely a permanent shift in how they do business. Restaurateurs have their work cut out for them. Traditionally a thin-margin business to begin with,…

The post How restaurants will rebound as they begin to open back up appeared first on The Vivant.

Good news for those with a sweet tooth — a study has discovered that chocolate might be good for you.

British and American researchers suggest that cocoa or, more precisely, the flavanols found in cocoa beans, could increase the mental agility of healthy adults.

The research, carried out by scientists at the University of Birmingham and the University of Illinois, and published in the journal, Scientific Reports, comes at just the right time. In fact, chocoholics may no longer have to feel guilty about their daily habit, not to mention the excesses of the festive season.

Scientists have found that flavanols naturally present in cocoa could not only improve brain blood oxygenation, but could also make you smarter... or, at least, have a positive effect on cognition. Cognitive function encompasses mental abilities such as memory, reasoning, language, decision-making and problem-solving.

[caption id="attachment_212763" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Assorted chocolates. (Image: Jessica Loaiza/ Unsplash)[/caption]

Eighteen healthy male volunteers were recruited based on specific criteria to take part in the study. Age 18 to 45, the volunteers were non-smokers with no previous history of cerebrovascular, cardiovascular or respiratory disease. They were not taking long-term medication, nor suffering from blood-clotting disorders, and had no known infections at the time of the study. Participants were asked to fast for 12 hours before each study visit, and to exclude certain foods and drinks from their diet so as not to skew the results.

The volunteers were tested before and after consuming cacao flavanols on two occasions. On one of those occasions, the subjects were given a cocoa drink enriched with flavanols, while on the other, they were given non-enriched cocoa. The experiment was conducted as a double-blind study, so neither the researchers nor the participants knew who consumed what.

[caption id="attachment_212766" align="aligncenter" width="683"] Time to reach for that hot chocolate. (Image: Sam Hojati/ Unsplash)[/caption]

A brain boost for the most difficult tasks

The scientists first set about analysing blood oxygenation response in participants' brains by asking them to breathe air containing higher levels of carbon dioxide than usually found in the air. They found that the majority of participants had a faster and greater brain oxygenation response after drinking the flavanol-rich drink, compared to other participants, and compared to before consumption.

Next, the volunteers were given a series of cognitive tests. Here, the scientists discovered that participants who consumed the flavanol-enriched cocoa performed better in the more complex cognitive tasks, in comparison to tests carried out before cocoa absorption and to participants who had only consumed low levels of flavanols.

[caption id="attachment_212764" align="alignnone" width="683"] Cacao fruits, from which cocoa beans are derived. (Image: Ly Le Minh/ Unsplash)[/caption]

The study has its limitations, however. The scientists saw no significant difference for the easiest cognitive tests. Similarly, participants who already completed the most difficult tasks before the study didn't see their scores improve.

Flavanols in fruit

Before you reach for your chocolate stash, note that, as well as being found in cocoa, certain fruits and vegetables are also rich in flavanols. Foods containing high levels of flavanols include green tea, fava beans, blackberries, grapes, cherries, raspberries, plums, strawberries, apples and apricots.

(Main and featured image: Ismael Trevino/ Unsplash)

The post Eating Chocolate Could Make You Smarter, According to Research appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Good news for those with a sweet tooth — a study has discovered that chocolate might be good for you.

British and American researchers suggest that cocoa or, more precisely, the flavanols found in cocoa beans, could increase the mental agility of healthy adults.

The research, carried out by scientists at the University of Birmingham and the University of Illinois, and published in the journal, Scientific Reports, comes at just the right time. In fact, chocoholics may no longer have to feel guilty about their daily habit, not to mention the excesses of the festive season.

Scientists have found that flavanols naturally present in cocoa could not only improve brain blood oxygenation, but could also make you smarter... or, at least, have a positive effect on cognition. Cognitive function encompasses mental abilities such as memory, reasoning, language, decision-making and problem-solving.

[caption id="attachment_212763" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Assorted chocolates. (Image: Jessica Loaiza/ Unsplash)[/caption]

Eighteen healthy male volunteers were recruited based on specific criteria to take part in the study. Age 18 to 45, the volunteers were non-smokers with no previous history of cerebrovascular, cardiovascular or respiratory disease. They were not taking long-term medication, nor suffering from blood-clotting disorders, and had no known infections at the time of the study. Participants were asked to fast for 12 hours before each study visit, and to exclude certain foods and drinks from their diet so as not to skew the results.

The volunteers were tested before and after consuming cacao flavanols on two occasions. On one of those occasions, the subjects were given a cocoa drink enriched with flavanols, while on the other, they were given non-enriched cocoa. The experiment was conducted as a double-blind study, so neither the researchers nor the participants knew who consumed what.

[caption id="attachment_212766" align="aligncenter" width="683"] Time to reach for that hot chocolate. (Image: Sam Hojati/ Unsplash)[/caption]

A brain boost for the most difficult tasks

The scientists first set about analysing blood oxygenation response in participants' brains by asking them to breathe air containing higher levels of carbon dioxide than usually found in the air. They found that the majority of participants had a faster and greater brain oxygenation response after drinking the flavanol-rich drink, compared to other participants, and compared to before consumption.

Next, the volunteers were given a series of cognitive tests. Here, the scientists discovered that participants who consumed the flavanol-enriched cocoa performed better in the more complex cognitive tasks, in comparison to tests carried out before cocoa absorption and to participants who had only consumed low levels of flavanols.

[caption id="attachment_212764" align="alignnone" width="683"] Cacao fruits, from which cocoa beans are derived. (Image: Ly Le Minh/ Unsplash)[/caption]

The study has its limitations, however. The scientists saw no significant difference for the easiest cognitive tests. Similarly, participants who already completed the most difficult tasks before the study didn't see their scores improve.

Flavanols in fruit

Before you reach for your chocolate stash, note that, as well as being found in cocoa, certain fruits and vegetables are also rich in flavanols. Foods containing high levels of flavanols include green tea, fava beans, blackberries, grapes, cherries, raspberries, plums, strawberries, apples and apricots.

(Main and featured image: Ismael Trevino/ Unsplash)

The post Eating Chocolate Could Make You Smarter, According to Research appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

After serving elevated cuisine in Asia for eight years, executive chef Antonio Oviedo recently started something of a buzzing revolution at 22 Ships in Wanchai.

When the Jia Group decided to refresh its intimate restaurant-cum-bar, as well as a brightening its interior it also installed Oviedo, a veteran of some of the greatest teams in Spanish and modern cuisine, along with his newly picked team.

“I started to develop the new concept for 22 Ships in May,” says Madrid-raised Oviedo. “We wanted to have a place that’s like a real Spanish tapas bar, with aperitifs and fresh dishes that change all the time – to bring all the bites from Madrid and other cities where this scene serves super stuff, and to source premium ingredients from the greater area of Spain.

[caption id="attachment_212250" align="aligncenter" width="567"] Antonio Oviedo is the new executive chef at 22 Ships.[/caption]

“We’re trying to be authentic,” he says; “I think there’s a lack of authenticity in some restaurants here – not only Spanish ones. They try to change dishes for the local palate; that’s cool, but then you lose the [genuine] concept.”

Oviedo, whose initial foray into the Hong Kong dining scene began on his arrival from Singapore – he’d worked there as sous chef at the multi-awarded European-style restaurant Iggy’s, and as group executive chef at Una and The Garage – does concede to the regional preference for less salt in savoury dishes. In fact, he says, “In our seafood paellas we get so much flavour from ancient recipes using roasted lobster heads, tomatoes, almonds and dried peppers in the stock that we don’t need any salt at all.”

On the evening I visit, a paella of ultra-red-shelled Mediterranean Carabineros prawn with salmorreta sauce (a pungent paste recipe from Alicante, comprising dried ñora pepper, olive oil, garlic, parsley and tomato) has the requisite wow-factor intensity of flavour and umami quality – and all without salt. Rotated seafood rice-pan regulars include blue lobster with salmorreta, and grilled octopus with black ink-enhanced grains.

[caption id="attachment_212241" align="aligncenter" width="765"] Carabinero paella with salmorreta.[/caption]

To help ensure both kitchen quality and an upbeat vibe with diners, Oviedo enlisted Nick Gellon, a former staffer in his previous private kitchen and catering operation. “It was in the middle of the pandemic and Nick was working in Switzerland,” explains Ovivedo, “so it was very difficult to bring him over, but he made it five days before we opened. That was a relief, as it’s difficult to find committed people.”

A chalk board announces the restaurant’s frequently changing specials, from snacks to tapas, mains, cheeses and vermouth sodas, many of which have a contemporary savoury edge. The intimate yet vibrant new interior provides a backdrop to an open-kitchen bar counter, a prime spot to watch and engage with the new culinary and bar team. Around the counter and dining-room tables, restaurant manager and sommelier Alice Douine offers accessible information on wines, citric-foam topped white or red glasses of sangria and house- made spirit infusions.

[caption id="attachment_212242" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Bar-style seating at 22 Ships.[/caption]

With authentic flavours being served, then what – one might wonder – has the local palate best responded to in the few months since opening? “For the Hong Kong locals, the uni [sea urchin] and suckling pig have been very popular,” says Oviedo, enthusiastically. “They love both of these – and all seafood.” He’s referring specifically to the restaurant’s Rusa and sea urchin on toast, and the roast suckling pig – a large main-course sharing platter. Rusa refers to Spain’s popular potato-based “Russian salad”, sometimes featuring seafood, of which 22 Ships presents a very refined take.

When it comes to seafood, few dishes could be more Spanish than anchovies and sardines – though here they’re served with finesse. Take the cold ajo blanco almond-and-garlic soup, for instance, served with sliced Muscat grapes, just as it is in Malaga; Oviedo, however, tops it with grilled sardines, also enjoyed in the same region, adding herb- and spice-infused floating green and red drops to the white liquid for flavoursome and visual effect. Marcona almonds were originally brought to Spain by Tunisian and other immigrants from North Africa, who introduced the soup. Boletus mushroom and béchamel sauce croquettes have an airier quality than many served in Spain and are topped with fine aged Ibérico ham.

[gallery ids="212248,212244,212247,212243"]

Oviedo has bolstered the selection of small-production cold cuts – Ibérico hams and salamis – and cheeses, many of which are unpasteurised and all of which result from a tireless sourcing process. These can be enjoyed as a prelude to dinnertime during la hora del vermut (“vermouth hour”), where cocktails, wine, citric-foam-topped sangria and house vermouth sodas are served with prepared snacks and tapas. Oviedo thinks this Spanish habit isn’t truly replicated anywhere else in town – note that there’s no lunch service here: with dinner preparations from scratch beginning around noon and lasting six to eight hours, there’s simply no time.

Back to the small plates for dinner, a moreish starter dish is the Rubia beef tartare, made with prized meat from north-western Galicia that’s aged for more than 90 days; its lasting robust flavour makes Douine’s wine pairing with the Catalonian 2018 Xarel-lo Ca N’Estruc, L’Equilibrista, an intriguing one: a young white wine with such structure and length that it was in perfect balance with the seasoned aged raw red meat.

This grape – it’s a key component in Cava – also goes well with the house signature main of suckling pig with grilled gem lettuce and pomegranate. Like the Manchego lamb-shoulder main, the pork is slow-roasted for 24 hours and the meat falls off the bone. With the delicate lamb, Ninja de las Uvas, a light 2018 Garnacha (Grenache) red from the Bullas region by natural wine-maker Julia Casado, is a perfect match.

[gallery ids="212245,212249"]

Try to save room for dessert. The Basque cheesecake uses sheep’s- milk Idiazabal, a smoked cheese produced close to Oviedo’s father’s birthplace in Navarre. The smokiness of the cheese is further enhanced by being baked in a charcoal oven. For a lighter finish, lemon sorbet blended with Cava is zingy with a slight granita-like texture, topped with soft meringue. Both these sweets are ample for two to share.

Oviedo has certainly worked with some of the past and present greats of Spanish cuisine. So what stays with him from his time working with late Santi Santamaria – known for his classic Spanish recipes – and the Roca brothers – who helped elevate the nation’s modern culinary repertoire for years? “Santi Santamaria had a great traditional knowledge; his background was training in French cooking, so his way of thinking was very well organised,” recalls Oviedo. “I learned a lot about details in preparation from him. The Roca brothers were my first real chance to experiment with traditional Spanish dishes and bringing other ingredients and techniques into Spanish food.”

[caption id="attachment_212246" align="alignnone" width="900"] Basque cheesecake.[/caption]

Lessons didn’t stop there. Oviedo was also able to garner insights from other highly regarded kitchen heads and their teams. But his involvement and memories of cooking stretch back to childhood. “When I grew up, time was always spent around the kitchen table – I peeled garlic from a young age to help my mother. My grandmother, who was from the north of Spain, taught my mum how to cook some dishes. My mum came from the south, so this gave her an amazing selection of recipes. And the concept I have here of multi-regional tapas came from that.”

It’s been tough opening in summer 2020, but the plan remains just as it was at the start. “We opened in the middle of the third wave of Covid, so we’re still on our first menu, but we change two or three dishes every day,” assures Oviedo. “Sometimes the staff get mad at me because I try a new dish during preparation and then put it on the menu 30 minutes before we open – so we have quick training on it all together. But that’s what we’re about and I can see people are appreciating our produce and new ideas.”

The post Chef Antonio Oviedo on Dishing Out Hearty Tapas and Pursuing Authenticity at 22 Ships appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.