Silence Sticks
Based on:
TypeSide dish
Serves4 people
DateSeptember 23, 2026
Silent veggie sticks as a still life of Singaporean rules: sober, strict, and straight on the plate.
Four upright roasted vegetable and toast strips form the silhouette of a forbidden phone speaker in the bus. This side dish refers to Singapore's strict rules: each stick is a silent warning. Simple, straight, and without excess.
Ingredients
- 2 thin zucchinis
- 2 large carrots
- 8 slices stale white bread
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Cut the zucchinis and carrots into long strips about 1 cm thick and 10 cm long.
- Place the vegetable strips on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes until cooked and lightly colored.
- Cut the crusts off the bread and slice each piece into two long strips.
- Briefly toast the bread strips in the oven next to the vegetables until golden and crispy.
- For each person, arrange 1 zucchini strip, 1 carrot strip, and 2 toast strips upright against each other on a plate, so they form the silhouette of a speaker (two vegetables as the 'screen', two toasts as 'sound waves').
Serving notes
- Serve the sticks upright for a neat, orderly presentation.
- Add a small bowl of yogurt dip for those who want to 'speak'.