Born in the vibrant city of Singapore with a unique Eurasian blend of Portuguese and Chinese heritage, my journey has taken me from the bustling streets of Singapore to the serene and open landscapes of Sweden. My educational pursuits in Singapore culminated at tertiary level with two separate Master degrees, after which I embarked on a new adventure in 2002, moving to Sweden. In Sweden, I pursued with deep interest, the knowledge field of applied linguistics, particularly corpus linguistics research methods, earning a doctoral degree from one of northern Europe’s largest universities, the University of Gothenburg. I currently work as Project Manager, focusing on EU and international projects, at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, at the Division of Bioeconomy and Health, Department of Agriculture and Food. My office is located in Mölndal municipality. Mölndal, known also as the Valley of Mills, is located about ten minutes by bus ride from the city center of Gothenburg to the south. If you’re ever traveling south from Gothenburg to Malmö, whether by train or car, you will likely come by Mölndal municipality. In these pages at cmariec.com, you’ll find my lifestyle musings on culinary and travel adventures from Singapore to Sweden, and from when I lived and worked the Arctic City of Tromsø (2018 to mid-2022). SINGAPORE | SWEDEN | NORTHERN NORWAY Life in Singapore Pursued all academic interests in Singapore, of which the post-graduate years were founded in two separate disciplines. In 2000, graduated with two separate Masters Degrees: (i) Master of Science in Information Studies at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore (ii) Master of Arts in the English Language at the National University of Singapore (NUS). In 1999, represented the Republic of Singapore at the Miss Universe Pageant in Trinidad and Tobago. With this came a variety of film, educational TV, media, and ambassadorial work for the Singapore Tourism Board. Life in Sweden In 2002, moved from Singapore to Sweden in order to pursue a PhD in Gothenburg, where a number of international corporate head offices were located that all had a substantial business presence in Singapore and also Asia in general. In 2009, graduated with a PhD in applied critical linguistics from the faculty of humanities at the University of Gothenburg, with a cross-disciplinary thesis entitled, Swedish management in Singapore: a discourse analysis study, looking particularly into the concepts of assimilation, integration and hierarchy, at top management levels of Swedish-Asian corporations in Singapore. 2013, as research fellow at the Centre for International Business Studies (CIBS), School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, researching the future implications of increasing Asian-Swedish cooperation within the field of international business. The project is entitled Gothenburg in Asia, Asia in Gothenburg, funded by the Anna Ahrenberg Foundation. The project is aligned with the 400 years anniversary of the city of Gothenburg in 2021, and falls under the broad category of Kunskap Göteborg 2021 initiated by city representatives of Gothenburg, Göteborg & Co, University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. 2015, was granted the Flexit post-doctoral scholarship by Bank of Sweden Tercentennary Foundation (Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, RJ) for a three year project together with the Swedish-Swiss multinational enterprise ABB. From 2015-17, the research will take place at ABB Corporate Research Sweden HQ in Västerås, and at CIBS during 2017-18. The research focus of the project is how new technologies are perceived and accepted by users and customers, using linguistic methods of data analysis. More information can be found at RJ’s website, at Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ) Felxit 2015. Life in Northern Norway (2018-2022) 2018, late summer. I acquired new work as Market Scientist at Nofima. Having moved to the county of Troms in August, I’m currently enjoying myself, exploring the island city of Tromsø. From the 1900s, this city became known as Paris of the North due to how the people of Tromsø were exceptionally stylish and sophisticated in contrast to the fishing village preconception that many might have of a city located in the Arctic Circle. In my years in Sweden, I have known Sweden to be called the land of the midnight sun. During the long summer mights, it was beautiful to sit and watch the sun’s languid pendulation between east and west, touching the horizon out at sea before going up again. Northern Norway takes this languid pendulation of the sun to the extreme. It is not only known as the land of the midnight sun, but it is also the land of polar nights and the northern lights. This is my new adventure. And in these lifestyle blog pages, you’ll find my personal thoughts, insights and musings. Cheryl Marie Cordeiro | PhD MSc MA ACADEMIC REFLECTIONS | CV LIFESTYLE BLOG

Custard Egg Tarts with Puff Pastry

Custard egg tarts, made with puff pastry.

Custard egg tarts, dusted with icing sugar on top.
Photo © Jan-Erik Nilsson and Cheryl M. Cordeiro Nilsson for Cheryl Marie Cordeiro 2010

A quick browse through my most recent posts will show that my latest baking projects have all revolved around puff pastry creations. And I still have a few more items of puff pastry that I’d like to try before putting aside this light but decadently butter filled pâte feuilletée to genuinely say that I’m sick of it.
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Western Swedish Academy of Gastronomy annual awards ceremony and gala dinner, 2010.

An hors d'oeuvre of seafood served in a small can, Western Swedish Academy of Gastronomy awards ceremony, 2010.

Seafood in a fish canning tins.
Photo © Jan-Erik Nilsson and Cheryl M. Cordeiro-Nilsson for Cheryl Marie Cordeiro 2010

The 6th of May saw the Western Swedish Academy of Gastronomy give out its annual awards to outstanding individuals in the culinary field. And I couldn’t be more enthusiastic to have been part of this event, as the last time I was at the academy’s awards ceremony was in 2008.

The food this year was prepared by the Swedish Olympic culinary team and as with previous Chefs of previous years, the team had us guessing on what was served throughout the event, only to reveal towards the end, the true menu from hors d’oeuvres to wines that accompanied the main course and dessert.
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Louis Vuitton Suhali L’Impetueux in white

Louis Vuitton suhali handbag in white, L'Impetueux.

Louis Vuitton suhali L’Impetueux in white.
Photo © Jan-Erik Nilsson and Cheryl M. Cordeiro Nilsson for Cheryl Marie Cordeiro 2010

In 2003, Louis Vuitton launched their Suhali range of bags, made with natural grained goatskins. Louis Vuitton bags are generally extremely structured, designed to keep their shape no matter the content (something I appreciate), and it’s no different with this range of bags, despite the suppleness of the material.

Louis Vuitton suhali goat grained leather, L'Impetueux in white, golden brass lock.

Golden brass lock.

The style of each of the bags in the Suhali range is designed to reflect the Traveller Trunk history that is iconic of Louis Vuitton. Most bags in this range have silver or gold hardware with s-locks, reminiscent of the tough trunks and suitcases that Vuitton began with making just before 1900s.
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A view of Shanghai

Chopsticks, Shanghai, Kevin Dominic Cordeiro Photography

Photo © Kevin Dominic Cordeiro for Cheryl Marie Cordeiro 2010

The Shanghai Expo 2010 will open in just 3 days, running for 184 days (from 1 May to 31 October, 2010). When it comes to China, nothing is on a small scale these days if they can help it, just browsing the Events section of the Expo gives something to look forward to, from parades to song, dance, insights into the local food and culture.

The theme for this expo is “Better City, Better Life” and aims to bring awareness to and perhaps tackle the challenging issues that face global cities in the near future.

In this post, some pictures of Shanghai today, from food that includes century eggs to braised pork and chicken, to the clean modern lines of a hotel, a room on the 27th floor with a view over Shanghai.
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Variations of Curry Puff with puff pastry

Curry puffs made with puff pastry 2, Singapore style.

Curry puff made with puff pastry, Singapore style.
Photo © Jan-Erik Nilsson and Cheryl M. Cordeiro Nilsson for Cheryl Marie Cordeiro 2010

It was the large, triangular, multi-layered flaky pastried curry puff that I had in mind when putting this together. The kind that was stacked warm and neat on a newspaper lined cardboard box that was carried for door to door sales, usually by an Indian man or his son, when I lived in the high-rised government built blocks in Bedok North, Singapore.

I was about five or six years old when the large curry puffs, too large for me to finish on my own actually, became one of my favourite things to eat, beating the smaller, more reasonably kid-sized, fried rounded and pinched tipped version of curry puffs.
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Breakfast danishes with puff pastry

Raspberry danish pastry, dusted with icing sugar on top.

Raspberry danish pastry, dusted with icing sugar on top.
Photo © Jan-Erik Nilsson and Cheryl M. Cordeiro Nilsson for Cheryl Marie Cordeiro 2010

Some danish pastry adventures with the puff pastry that we made earlier.

Danish pastry with fresh raspberry filling.

I think the whole idea is to simply have the pastry become a container of sorts for whatever filling you wish you have in it. And making a little pastry box from the pastry is what we did, the first, adding fresh raspberries over a bed of sweetened vanilla cream. This was baked at 220C in the oven till the puff pastry was done. Once cooled, the raspberry danish was dusted with icing sugar before serving.
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Paisley

Cheryl Marie Cordeiro in purple paisley, Louis Vuitton L'Impetueux white Suhali

Photo © Jan-Erik Nilsson and Cheryl M. Cordeiro Nilsson for Cheryl Marie Cordeiro 2010

Paisley is not a common motif in my wardrobe, where it’s difficult to find a paisley print that doesn’t for example, overwhelm my frame. This casual weekend dress or sundress, from Marks & Spencer Limited Collection has a different sort of paisley print, more an over-sized print of it, a sprawling design that seems too large for even the dress to capture in full. It is also brightly coloured, something that contrasts to the pastels of paisley or the earthern tones of it on a lot more textiles. The deep magenta of the dress with contrasting blue-green of the paisley print is a nod to the Persian and Indian roots of this ancient design and the colourful textiles of the region.
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Crème caramel, made with the most basic of ingredients

Crème caramel recept, French baked custard recipe

Crème caramel, with extra caramel on top.

Photo © Jan-Erik Nilsson and Cheryl M. Cordeiro Nilsson for Cheryl Marie Cordeiro 2010

I don’t remember when it was that I first tasted crème caramel, all I knew was that I loved it, and at the time thought I would also never be able to enjoy this dessert if I were not at a posh restaurant in Singapore ordering it off the menu.

The first time I made this dessert, I thought that there was no way at all that it would turn out right. The Swedish weather was cold, the caramel came out too sticky and too thick, it froze almost immediately upon touching the soufflé dish and I couldn’t wash the dish clean of the solidified caramel even with boiling water! Since the caramel was stuck to the dish, I went ahead with the custard on top of it and thought not to expect too much, writing it off as a failed project.
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Puff Pastry

Video from Otago Polytechnic on how to make puff pastry.

How to make puff pastry was a complete mystery to me whilst growing up, even though it is one of the few things I’ve always enjoyed in a myriad of foods from the savoury to the sweet. Puff pastry beef pie and chicken pie popped into the microwave oven was something I quite often had for lunch after school in Singapore. In Sweden smördeg as it is called with fruit and custard, drizzled with icing sugar is a relish to have at breakfast or at tea time.

Puff pastry dough with a cross on top.

The base dough for puff pastry, marked with a cross on top, ready for rolling out.

Photo © Jan-Erik Nilsson and Cheryl M. Cordeiro Nilsson for Cheryl Marie Cordeiro 2010

As I’ve discovered what many others who make puff pastry have known, it takes more patience and time to make puff pastry than skill. Puff pastry has a much higher fat content than other types of pastries, using an alternating folding and rolling technique to create the layers of dough with air trapped between them. The pastry puffs up during the baking process and generally makes anything you serve on it / with it look fantastic!
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Coloured eggs for the Easter basket

Coloured Easter eggs, Easter Lilies, Sweden.

Easter lilies and coloured Easter eggs.

Photo © Cheryl M. Cordeiro Nilsson for Cheryl Marie Cordeiro 2010

One of the exciting events to look forward to in school when I was young during Easter week was the Easter Egg Hunt. The teachers would hide colourfully painted hard boiled eggs in one of our school gardens – the smaller gardens of the school – and the girls simply had to roam the gardens in search for them. Each girl who found an egg had a present to look forward to.
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