Roll Out The Champagne Singapore

30 stories about ordinary Singaporeans at their best and worst, their joys and griefs and angers, their dreams fulfilled or lost. They are tales about the awesome human condition and the even more awesome human spirit, interweaved with the author’s vignettes of her nearly 50 years in Singapore, such as how she came from Malaysia to live in Singapore and her run-in with then prime minister Goh Chok Tong. Stories include: The Quitter Who Stayed A Sock on the Jaw, a Blow on the Solar Plexus The Taximan Cometh A Writer’s Roller Coaster Ride The BKBC (bo kia bo chap) Interview Little Red Dot A Good Man in Singapore Elvis Presley Gave Me a Winning 4D Number Thanks , but No Thanks, Censorship! The Sixth C About the Author Catherine Lim is Singapore’s celebrated fiction author and prominent political commentator. She has written almost 20 books across various genres – short stories, novels, reflective prose, poems, political and satirical pieces. Known for writing about Singapore society, she has crossed swords several times with the establishment over her political commentaries. In this latest book, she rolls out the birthday champagne for Singapore and celebrates her adopted country’s 50th birthday

The living and the dead – there is something that binds them. For the living are endlessly fascinated by tales of the dead, whether they are about an old ancestor whose ghost reputedly haunts an old ancestral home about to be torn down; a child never allowed to be born, whose little frightened call "Mummy! Mummy!" fills his mother's dreams at night; an airline pilot whose ghost is forever condemned to roam the earth with that of his mistress for an unspeakably cruel suicide pact that plunges a hundred others to their deaths. In this collection of 14 short stories set in Singapore, Catherine Lim tells tales of the dead and their return, bringing readers on a journey of unease, excitement, trepidation and, above all, awe for the mystery that surrounds death.

This collection of eight short stories combines Catherine Lim’s sharp powers of observation with her insightful comments on the conflicts, both internal and external, brought about by love in the lives of men and women in modern-day Singapore. The result is a vibrant assortment of stories and voices brimming with courage, deep introspection and heartfelt emotion. Powerful and riveting, this collection is sure to captivate your mind and tug at your heartstrings and with its relentless prose and evocative charm.

The 12 stories in this collection electrify by their dazzling diversity of subject, their relentless observation and comment and their adroit use of language. Through the dark labyrinths of the secret lives of men and women in Singapore, Catherine Lim once again uses her sharp powers of observation to comment masterfully on our complex relationships against the immense and brilliant backdrop of our society’s achievements. Laying bare the infinite longing and inevitable weakness of the human heart, these stories celebrate the surprising power of love and its effects on every one of us.

Learn to create plated desserts like a master, with recipes from the World and National Pastry Team Championships Considered the Olympics of the pastry arts, the World and National Pastry Championships were founded by Michael Schneider in 1999. Since then, it has grown into the United States' most prestigious and popular pastry competition, aired annually on TLC. Now, in Plating for Gold, pastry chef Tish Boyle presents the most spectacular dessert recipes from the first decade of the competition and shows how you can recreate the same award-winning desserts in your own kitchen. Plating for Gold includes 50 recipes for absolutely spectacular desserts created by expert pastry chefs like Ewald Notter, Jacquy Pfeiffer, and Sebastien Cannone, all presented in easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. You'll find whimsical and delicious one-of-a-kind recipes like Strawberry Soup, Vanilla Panna Cotta Napoleon, and Almond Tartlet; Hot Chocolate Soufflé, Ginger Mousse, and Tropical Parfait; and Yin-Yang Flourless Chocolate Cake, as well as insight and advice from top pastry chefs on perfect plating. Includes advice on essential equipment, stocking your pastry kitchen, and perfect flavor pairings to help you create your own original recipes Features enticing full-color photographs of finished desserts, as well as hand-drawn sketches to illustrate plating techniques and provide endless inspiration Offers a behind-the-scenes look at the world of pastry competition, with candid photos and insider advice from some of today's best pastry chefs Whether you aspire to compete with the best at the Pastry Team Championships or simply want to impress guests at your next big dinner party, Plating for Gold is the gold standard in dessert cookbooks.