As you approach the halfway mark of circuit breaker month, you may be running out of meal ideas.
Here is one: Transform yourself into an instant chef or baker with Do-It-Yourself kits offering gourmet meals and scrumptious baked treats.
All you need to do is reheat ingredients or do simple cooking like boiling. Turn it into a fun family affair by getting the little ones to join in.
And if you require a constant supply of fresh ingredients such as eggs, vegetables and fish but do not want to head out to the markets, a soon-to-be-launched subscription pack will deliver the best of home-grown farm produce to your doorstep.
The Sunday Times susses out some of these DIY kits.
COOKING LIFESKILLS PACKAGE
What: Rope in the family for a cooking session. Grub cafe in Balestier and its sister company Cookyn Inc have come up with cooking kits (from $50) that include ingredients (good for four people) and recipes for a main and a dessert.
Options include creamy mushroom "ravioli" (made with wonton skin) with tomato sauce and upside-down pineapple cake; hand-made chicken meatball pasta and dark chocolate mousse with berries; and chicken shepherd's pie and Milo bread and butter pudding.
If you prefer local fare, order the chicken rice and kueh dadar pack. Add $10 for a chocolate chip cookie recipe pack and get free delivery for your cooking kits.
Info: Call 6748-4848 or go to cookyn-inc.myshopify.com/collections/all
BAKE AT HOME KIT
What: Learn to bake like local pastry chef Janice Wong, with her recently launched Bake at Home range, which comprises cake premixes, baking ingredients, equipment and accessories.
Flavours for the premix packs (from $4.90) include red velvet chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookie and green tea cake.
A step-by-step recipe is provided and will also state whether fresh ingredients such as milk, yogurt, oil or eggs are required.
The kits are also part of Janice Wong Singapore's monthly subscription boxes ($35 a month for six months). Each month, the surprise box is filled with hands-on activities, sweet treats as well as new and exclusive items.
Where: Janice Wong Singapore, B1-K28 Paragon, 290 Orchard Road; open: 11.30am to 7.30pm daily; 2am: dessertbar and Janice Wong Singapore at Raffles City Shopping Centre are temporarily closed
Info: Order at www.bakeathome.online
FROZEN LAVA COOKIES
What: Bake your own lava cookies from Creamery Boutique Ice Creams Singapore, which has launched three frozen options.
Pick from Chocalot (chocolate lava with butter cookie), Monster Matcha (green tea lava with butter cookie) or Red Devil (cream cheese lava with red velvet cookie).
The cookies are priced at $4.90 a piece or $3 a piece with any order of an ice-cream pint.
To bake, set your oven to 170 deg C and place the cookie on a baking tray. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes till the cookie is golden brown and its centre is molten.
Heap a scoop of ice cream on top to get that oozy lava effect. But before that, get your camera ready for that Instagram shot.
Where: Creamery Boutique Ice Creams Singapore, 01-03, 139 Tyrwhitt Road
Info: Call 8133-1250 or order two days in advance at bit.ly/2z8rEpS
ROAST CHICKEN DIY EATS
What: Feast on Summer Hill restaurant's signature roast chicken ($45, serves two to three) with all the trimmings sans the hassle of preparation.
For bigger groups of up to five people, choose from the Cape Grim grass-fed ribeye roast ($198), which comes with porcini mushroom cream sauce; or roasted Kurobuta pork collar ($120, serves three to four) in Dijon mustard sauce.
All sets include duck fat-roasted potatoes, spring vegetables and slow-roasted garlic confit. The ingredients are pre-cooked and vacuum-packed - with re-heating instructions - and can be stored for up to three days before consumption.
Where: Summer Hill, 01-62, Block 106 Clementi Street 12; open: noon to 3pm, 5.30 to 10pm (Tuesdays to Sundays), closed on Mondays
Info: WhatsApp 6251-5337 or go to summerhill.sg/diy-eats
TLF SURVIVOR PACK
What: Support Singapore's farms with a newly launched subscription pack filled with curated local produce.
This initiative is by The Local Farm (TLF), a concept offering ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products under nature-based events company Gardenasia.
Delivered on a weekly basis, the pack comprises pasteurised eggs from N&N Agriculture, quail eggs from Lian Wah Hang, vegetables (weekly rotation of xiao bai cai, cai xin hua, sharp spinach, round spinach and kang kong) from Yili Vegetation and fish fillets (weekly rotation of seabass and red snapper) from The Fish Farmer.
Two packets of ready-to-cook chowder will also be included in the deliveries every month - a collaboration between The Fish Farmer and local restaurant chain The Soup Spoon.
To kick-start this initiative, TLF needs to hit 500 or more subscribers for a six-month period to assure farmers of steady demand over a length of time.
The packs are slated to roll out next month, with a monthly subscription fee of $185+ for a six-month contract. Interest-free instalments are available for UOB cardholders.
Info: www.gardenasia.com/the-survivor-pack
PASTA KIT
What: For its comprehensive package that goes beyond just pasta and sauce, Open Farm Community gets my vote for the best pasta kit ($32, good for two) I have tried so far. You also get oil, salt and cheese for seasoning, as well as fresh basil leaves as a garnish.
Menu mainstays are the bolognese and mushroom sauce, made with organic Kin Yan mushrooms.
What stands out is the special beef brisket ragu rigatoni for its rich and meaty sauce. The rigatoni is the perfect canvas to hold all the sauce. The flavourful ragu requires minimal seasoning, so you can keep the oil and salt for other dishes.
Where: Open Farm Community, 130E Minden Road; open: 11am to 9pm daily
Info: WhatsApp 9672-8959 for takeaways
EARTHQUAKE IN A BOX
What: The iconic Earthquake mega sundae ($25.47) at restaurant chain Swensen's now comes conveniently packed in a box.
Pick eight flavours from 24 options such as the classic Sticky Chewy Chocolate and Durian King, as well as Butterfly Pea Flower Milk Tea and Dark Chocolate Truffle.
Don't miss out on the toppings - hot fudge sauce, butterscotch sauce, strawberry sauce, pineapple sauce, blueberry sauce, marshmallow sauce, hot caramel sauce and cold fudge, almonds, whipped cream and maraschino cherries - which come free of charge.
The Earthquake box is available exclusively on Deliveroo until April 23 and thereafter on GrabFood and Foodpanda as well.
