Are You Ready for the Crogel Invasion?

1. Move Over Cronuts; The Crogels are Here!

Photo taken from StewLeonard’s Facebook page

We still can’t forget how the Cronuts – a croissant and donut mixture by Chef Dominique Ansel – has taken over the US by storm. Here in Singapore, we felt the effects with many bakeshops doing their own version of this unique pastry. Remember the Crodos? Well, there’s a new player in town created by StewLeonard’s… it’s called the Crogel. From the obvious wordplay, you may have already guessed that this is a croissant-bagel hybrid. This is prepared by shaping the croissant dough into a bagel before it’s kettle boiled and hearth baked. The result? Crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside! Do you think this new pastry will also be as viral as the cronuts? 2. AMEX Brings You Robert Parker's Grand World Tour

Photo courtesy of AMEX

Robert Parker, one of the world's most influential wine critics and writers, will be making a pit stop in Singapore this 13 to 16 March 2014 as part of the Wine Advocate's Grand World Tour. It's a five-city event where guests in Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and Singapore can have an exceptional wine and dine experience. In the series of events, they will also be given the chance to get Up Close and Personal with Robert Parker himself, as well as other big names in the wine industry; these include Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Monica Larner, and Neal Martin. Of course, it's a given that they will be tasting some fine wines from Italy. The sessions will be held at The Fullerton Hotel on the said dates. AMEX is giving you the chance to get early bird discounts to some of the sessions if you make the reservations by 5 February 2014. 3. This is it. The Ultimate Lazy Sunday.

Photo courtesy of The Green Door

How does a brunch menu stacked with BBQ delights like Sticky Molasses BBQ Pork Ribs, a classic Grilled Cheeseburger and BBQ Lamb TIkka sound to you? Starting 26 January, The Green Door at Dempsey will be rolling out an all-day brunch event – Lazy Sundays – every last Sunday of the month. You don’t have to be an early riser for this one, since it stretches from 1pm all the way till 10.30pm. Feel free to bring the kids and your furry companions along for this perfect family outing, complete with drink promotions on Blood Marys, Pimm’s and beer buckets – all under that blanket of twinkling stars amidst a luxuriant foliage. 4. Be Your Own Barista At Home This Chinese New Year

Photo courtesy of Nespresso

Nespresso springs into the year with a brand new coffee machine range – Maestria, inspired by the sheer artistry of coffee preparation. In a full aluminium body of red, the rounded-edged model proudly carries two new features – two retro dials on the front, as well as a steam pipe on the side. With the retro dial, you’ll be able to adjust the cup length, whether for an espresso or a lungo and the steam pipe brings the machine’s ‘hands on’ factor to a new level! Create thick bodies of milk froth for that perfect cup of Cappuccino or Café Latte. The Maestria is now available in stores at $788. Simply head to any Nespresso boutique, selected trade partners, go onto the online Nespresso boutique or call Nespresso Customer Care Centres at 800 852 3525 to make your purchase. And if you’re stocking up on those lovely capsules, look out for the special CNY 9 sleeve pack. At $88.30, what you’ll get are: 3 sleeves of Arpeggio, 2 sleeves of Volluto, 2 sleeves of Caramelito and 2 sleeves of Linizio Lungo. In addition to that, a complimentary CNY calendar gift and the chance to win a classic menu specially prepared by Chef Emmanuel Stroobant of Saint Pierre Group (worth $1,188) are for your taking. 5. Video: How to Make Roasted Pork Belly Fair warning: You might get hungry. Really hungry.

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