Thanksgiving apple tart

For Thanksgiving dessert, I made an apple tart using an excellent recipe from A Platter of Figs by David Tanis, who spends half his year in Berkeley cooking at Chez Panisse.  It’s a great recipe because of its simplicity – it lets the deliciousness of the apples and the flaky pastry shine.  I also love that the directness of the flavors is mirrored by the rough hewn aesthetic of the tart itself.   Another great thing about this tart is that you can prep it well beforehand, and then put it in the oven during dinner (it takes about 45 minutes to bake).  This time around, I used New York Special apples from the Ferry Building farmers’ market and essentially followed the recipe to a T, although I reduced the amount of sugar called for in the glaze (I used 3/4 cup but would go even lower next time) and added vanilla and a dash of cinnamon (Mr. Pigtales’ idea) to the glaze as well.  Voila!

In October at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, I gamely tried a homemade bacon cookie baked by a good college friend.  It was rich, savory, buttery – a concept akin to pancakes and bacon.  Apparently this type of pairing of sugar and oink is very of the moment, at least according to yesterday’s New York Times:

Meat Sweets in San Francisco

Caramels made with pig lard (available at Boccalone in the Ferry Building)?  Hmmm.  Could be very, very good….

As I look at my watch it reads 3:51am, just back from a night of high testosterone street racing I find myself blogging to take off the edge before I lay my head on my pillow. Faced with  an incredible workload, tight timelines and the lack of good manpower, I’ve had to undertake a lot on my own. Well at least I am glad to say regular exercise has enabled me to keep illness at bay.

Today my ex-boss from the F&B company called asking who Shuying was and why she had been late this morning after several calls to postpone the timing. I reassured Francis saying that Inn Interior was reliable as they have their own workers and resources for the work and it was not just acting as a main contractor. The fact that Eric (my cousin) needs pushing did not help things, but a call solved it rather quickly. Followed by a call to Mark to close off on the cabling and Ray to handle the equipment as I will be travelling.

My days are starting extremely early and ending extremely late, but somehow I am amazed at where the energy comes from. Perhaps it is also the energy I got when I felt that I had a point to prove – that I am not a pushover and I will prevail. But somehow I truly wish I will get better luck, life’s never been easy for me but I’ve been truly blessed with some truly gems as friends and also my angel Shuying.

Although today she is no longer the first person I speak to when I call to wake her in the morning and also not the last person I speak to before I wish her sweet dreams I still find myself immersed in thoughts of her on a daily basis. My friends advise me to move on, and in a way I guess I have resigning myself to a life without her sweet smile. But one thing I can never do is to forget her or what she has done for me. If there was something I could change in my life, the Shuying chapter is definitely not it.

Before I end this entry I have to say tonight sitting in the car going at insane speeds round extreme bends I saw somehow my life flash before me. And I know my friends will shake their heads in disagreement when I tell them that Shuying was never far from my mind’s eye.

HOT SPICED CIDER
2 qts Apple Cider
¼ cup sugar (more if desired)
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 whole cloves
8 whole allspice
8 sticks cinnamon (2 inches each)

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain out spices before serving. Serve in mugs with cinnamon stick stirrer. Serves 8.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THANKSGIVING BLESSING

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Categories: Italian, Pizza

Neighborhood: Venice, CA

Are you ready for the rolls? Who needs napkins when you have bread?

Angie’s Perfect Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups warm milk
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 7 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
- ½ cup butter, melted

Directions:                            
Pour milk into a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle yeast over the surface. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Beat in the sugar, eggs, ½ cup butter, and salt; blend thoroughly. Gradually stir in the flour to make soft dough. Cover bowl, and set in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough, cover the bowl, and allow to rise again. Repeat this step two more times.

Break off 2 to 3 inch size pieces of dough, roll lightly into round shape, and place in prepared baking dish, edges touching. Repeat to make 36 dough balls. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Bake rolls in preheated oven until tops turn golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. When rolls are finished baking, drizzle melted butter over the top, and serve warm.

H., Cristy. “Angie’s Perfect Dinner Rolls.” Allrecipes.com. Web. 23 Nov. 2009. <http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Angies-Perfect-Dinner-Rolls/Detail.aspx>.

Do you live in the Pacific Northwest and like Soul Food? Well let’s head down to the South for the Holiday and pick up some green beans.

Southern Style Thanksgiving Green Beans

Ingredients:
- 2 quarts of water
- 4 pounds of fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped into 1 ½ inch pieces
- 1 ham hock
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon black pepper

Directions:
Place the water in a large pit, and mix in the green beans, ham hock, onion, garlic, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, and simmer 4 hours. Remove the ham hock, and slice the meant into small pieces. Return meat to the beans, and serve.

Amount Per Serving Calories: 144 Total Fat: 5.6g Cholesterol: 17mg

Warner, Kirk. “Southern Style Thanksgiving Green Beans.” Allrecipes.com. Web. 23 Nov. 2009. <http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Southern-Style-Thanksgiving-Green-Beans/Detail.aspx>.

I don’t know what it is – maybe something about the cold weather or the oncoming holidays – but I am finding myself inspired to cook quite a bit these days.  (At the same time, my low-carb-till-6pm diet seems to have fallen by the wayside.  See Exhibit 1 here: low-carb diet 0, Tartine cookies 3 or 4)  With Asylum Street Spankers playing in the background and Mr. Pigtales busying himself working on his new-to-him Raleigh Super Course, I decided to prepare some dough for baking later in the week (probably Wednesday night?).  Since Mr. Pigtales is planning to make Zuni Cafe’s recipe for roast chicken and bread salad on Thursday, I figure having some homemade bread laying around can’t be a bad thing.

Given the late hour, I decided to opt for the easiest of the bread recipes in my arsenal, Jim Sullivan’s no knead bread recipe.  (In terms of ingredients, I prefer King Arthur’s bread flour and Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise Highly Active Yeast.)  You literally slap the ingredients together (taking care to mix the yeast into the flour separately from the salt), make sure the dry ingredients are roughly evenly hydrated, cover it, and after a long while, throw it in a piping hot oven.  It’s the long while that is key – this is when all the flavors in the bread will develop, so letting it sit there on your hopefully warmish counter for 20-plus hours is what will make this bread delicious.   I’ve made this bread with anywhere from 18 hours to 24 hours or possibly more fermentation time, and it will turn out fine (the high moisture content in the dough helps it keep longer).  You can also stick it in the fridge to retard the dough a bit if you like.  It’s all good with this recipe, in my book.

Next up: making some butter.  Mmm, butter.

Chow.com posted this recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero’s book,  Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. We saw the receipe on Chow, read the rave reviews (every single person who tasted these attested to their magnificience) and had to try for ourselves — not to mention pawn some off un unsuspecting vegans and get their opinions. Unfortunately, my usual tester was off duck hunting this weekend (gasp, I know) so I tested on my sister, whose discriminating carnivorous palate regularly prepares SPAM in her household culinary adventures. I figure if she and her husband like the cupcakes, everyone will. They couldn’t stop eating them, I never should have even told them they were vegan.

Ingredients:

Baking directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
2. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).
3. Pour into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Vegan Frosting

This is my second attempt to find these dogs a home.  This is just a heartbreaking story.  Their mom, Cindy, a woman in her 30’s was in a car accident in early October.  She was severely injured – will most likely have permanent brain damage.  She doesn’t have medical insurance.  Due to the financial strains, this family is losing their home a few days after Thanksgiving.  The children have already lost so much!  They are heartbroken at the thought of taking these dogs to the local humane society as it is a kill shelter.  Can someone please help these dogs who have no idea why their mom hasn’t come home and are about to lose their home & most likely each other.  Please find it in your heart to help them.

I have a little bit of information about them via the ladies’ brother.  He said the dogs are all up to date on shots, spayed/neutered & were on heartworm preventative, but most likely have no had the mos recent dose since their mom had the accident on October 6th or 7th.  As you can imagine, her husband has probably not even thought about it as she is the dog lover.  He said the black/chow is 7 years old – female, the black lab/spitz terrier is 3 years old – male and the brown & black beagle terrier is 8 years old – female.  All he knew about he brown dog is that it’s name is Crimson.  He’s supposed to get back with me with more information, but UAB hospital moved Cindy to a nursing home yesterday so he’s been busy with that.  I hope he’ll get the info to me tomorrow.

God bless you if you can help.  Even if you are not able to help, please crosspost to every contact you have.  Thank you so much!!

THANK YOU Sheri

Sheri Ryan savingoneatatime@gmail.com

Mr. Pigtales and I started our day off by riding our bikes to the farmers’ market at the Ferry Building — it was a glorious blue-sky day for riding and for the market.  Mr. Pigtales rode his gorgeous red 1941 Schwinn DX single-speed cruiser instead of his daily Raleigh Professional, and I rode my Novara Pulse (my only bike – at least for now!).  I savored the relative peacefulness of riding on Market Street on a Saturday.  When we arrived at the market, several folks noticed the Schwinn.  I had to hold myself back when one dude wouldn’t stop commenting on how “sexy” he thought it was.  I wanted to run up and tell him to stop hitting on my hubby, but hey – it was a sunny Saturday so I let it go.  Besides, I had Primavera chilaquiles (ohhhhhhh) to get to.

After polishing off our chilaquiles (and turning my fingers orange in the process – small price to pay for such deliciousness), we picked up some New York Special apples for the tart I’m planning to make for Thanksgiving, a bag of brown rice from Massa Organics (the best!), and a small chicken from Norm, who sells fantastic poultry at various farmers’ markets around here.

Mr. Pigtales' new 1973 Raleigh Super Course

After the farmers’ market, we made a beeline to the San Francisco Bike Expo at Cow Palace.  Mr. Pigtales was looking for a project, and he found one: a 1973 Raleigh Super Course in a lovely bronze color, for a song.  We also picked up a Raleigh crankset, pedals, and seatpost for it, so now we’re just looking for a saddle (probably a Brooks B17?), some albatross handlebars, and a few other odds and ends (bottom bracket?  wheels, perhaps?).

The Bike Expo was pretty fun, all in all.  There were lots of cool bikes to look at, including a gorgeous old Hetchins frame like they don’t make anymore, as well as a tiny little orange Italian road bike with what looked to be 24-inch wheels — even smaller than mine!  There was even a guy who was making bicycle-powered smoothies.  And I finally picked up some bicycle shorts from Sheila Moon, a local bicycle clothing designer, for longer weekend rides.

The only problem with the Bike Expo was that the only food there was of the entirely unappetizing hot-dog-oriented stadium-concession variety.  So we eventually high-tailed it out of there and grabbed an early dinner at our favorite Singaporean restaurant, in the Inner Sunset.  It shall remain unnamed in this blog to keep the masses at bay (given the hordes (i.e. 1 or 2, if you include myself) of people who are reading this), but suffice it to say that we sated ourselves on fantastical Singaporean chili crab and curry noodles – a great end to a great day.

Mr. Pigtales and I had our pizza night tonight, with the help of some Cab Calloway on the stereo and the dough I had prepared earlier in the week from Peter Reinhart’s recipe.  I was a bit skeptical about how the crust would turn out because the dough was the droopiest, most pliable dough I had worked with yet.  It would barely hold a shape, even.  I thought maybe it had too much water content, and that I should’ve added more flour. So I was worried it was going to be too thin in a holey sense.

Here's Mr. Pigtales prepping the first pizza.

But we ploughed ahead even so.  Between sips of red wine, we added onto the rolled-out dough:

• a pesto Mr. Pigtales made fresh tonight
• a bit of olive oil
• mushrooms sauteed in sherry
• prosciutto
• sauteed onions
• mozzarella
• a bit of parmesan
• kosher salt & pepper, and
• a few slices of late-season homegrown tomato, from the one scraggly heirloom tomato plant we have on our roof.

We slid the pizza onto our Fibrament baking stone with the oven piping at 525 degrees and waited.

A couple minutes before we were going to take it out, Mr. Pigtales opened the door and cracked an egg on top.

Turns out I needn’t have worried, as the crust came out perfectly thin and crispy, just how I like it!  The bacon-y goodness, along with the kosher salt, the pesto, and the olive oil in the crust, was just sooooo yummy.  Sigh.

A margherita with a crispy, thin crust.

We made another just like the first, and then a pesto margherita, and I’m proud to report that there ain’t a stitch left (sorry!).

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons concentrated orange juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
4 slices of bread
1 egg, slightly beaten
½ lb mild bulk sausage
½ c chopped roasted pecans
2 tablespoons parsley flakes

DIRECTIONS

Break up bread in orange juice and maple syrup. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Blend in remaining ingredients. Make into small sausage balls about 1 inch in diameter or into patties. Fry slowly in a skillet or griddle over medium heat until browned. May be served as an hors d’oeuvre or accompaniment to macaroni for a family supper. Can be made ahead and frozen after cooking. Reheat in a warm oven before serving. Makes 4 to 6 patties, or 12 to 16 sausage balls.

We know nothing of tomorrow; our business is to be good and happy today. ~ SYDNEY SMITH

Hey, just because I’m eating low-carb doesn’t mean I can’t make pizza dough, right??

Tonight I made a batch of dough following Peter Reinhart’s recipe for Napoletana Pizza Dough, out of the book Mr. Pigtales gave me as a gift for our first anniversary last June (The Bread Baker’s Apprentice). It was substantially easier than pie – I just weighed and mixed up all the ingredients, and let our Kitchenaid mixer do its dough-hooky magic. Half of the dough is now hanging out in the freezer for future pizza usage, and half is resting in the fridge for homemade pizza night this Friday.

I am betraying my yuppie-ness by swooning over the Kitchenaid, but it has definitely streamlined my dough-kneading process. Pre-Kitchenaid, it used to take me 30+ minutes of hand-kneading to get the dough to pass the windowpane test, sadly raising actual concerns that my hands would fall off (in which case I really would need a hook). Post-Kitchenaid, I can sit there eating bonbons while the dough practically kneads itself . . . I just have to be careful that all my drooling over the Kitchenaid doesn’t compromise the moisture ratio of the dough (Michael Ruhlman would NOT approve!).

Stay tuned for a full report from Friday pizza night to see how the dough turned out…

Occasionally, I’ll convince Husband to have an all-veggie dinner with me. I usually do it when I have a plethora of veggies lying around that need to be eaten within a day or two before they spoil. We are always extremely satisfied after the meal and never feel like we’re missing the carb or protein. This past all-veggie dinner was no exception.

I had a head of cauliflower that was destined to become cauliflower popcorn…one of my favourite ways to eat cauliflower ever! The cauliflower is chopped up and tossed with a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and roasted in a hot oven till golden brown and a little crisp around the edges. We also had two cobs of corn left that were simply steamed and then smeared with a dab of Earth Balance and sprinkled with sea salt.

The main attraction was the peppers. I had watched an episode of French Food at Home where the host had made something almost identical to these peppers and it looked so good on the show, I just had to try it. I made a quick olive relish with some plump, salty green olives, a little bit of garlic, and just enough fruity olive oil to moisten the mix. A spoonful of the olive relish was spread in the bottoms of each pepper half. Then, I put a fresh basil leaf on top of the spread and finished each pepper half off with two wedges of juicy tomato and a drizzle of the same fruity olive oil.

The peppers were roasted in a moderately hot oven until they were “slumpy” and softened and really juicy. I loved that, when plated, the dish looked so warm and sunny…it was the perfect meal for an uncharacteristically mild November evening!

My mother-in-law does not like birthdays. She gets very cranky when one approaches and does not want any fuss made over her; frankly, she’d rather curl up in bed with a good book and just wait the day out than actually enjoy it. So, we always stick with a low-key, simple family dinner when that dreaded day rolls around.

This year, Husband and I decided that we would make her birthday dinner for her as her gift (it’s the least we could do considering my in-laws have let us come and stay with them while we attempt to get ourselves back on our feet!) and seeing as it was a chilly November day, I figured a thick, hearty stew with a little carb heaven on the side would be perfect.

I settled on the Smoky Red Peppers ‘N’ Beans Gumbo and Skillet Cornbread recipes from the almighty Veganomicon. My mother-in-law is a huge fan of roasted red peppers and an even bigger fan of one-pot meals so I figured it would be perfect and perfection it surely was!

My first bit of excitement was roasting my own red peppers, something I’ve always wanted to do but have never actually got around to doing. Mind you, I’ve never had a gas range and I imagine you need the flame to help the skins char properly. Once the peppers were finished, the recipe came together really quick.

I made a few slight changes to the original recipe: I used fresh green beans instead of the frozen okra, I used chopped yellow bell peppers instead of green, I went with a 6-bean medley instead of the red kidney beans, and I didn’t have any beer in the house so I substituted an extra cup of veggie stock. It was a delicious gumbo…the charred peppers and the added liquid smoke gave such wonderful flavour to the dish, and the thick, tomato-flavoured broth made the dish a great deep red colour.

The cornbread, however, was kinda “meh” for me. Everyone else seemed to love it but I wasn’t crazy about it. I am extremely picky about my cornbread! I like it to be a little more on the gritty side with lots of sweet flavour (I usually opt for brown sugar in mine) and a great crust on the edges. This one didn’t have that. I found the interior to be a little on the gummy side…I did bake it in a baking pan instead of a skillet…maybe that affected the overall texture? Oh well, it was still dip-worthy and sopped up the leftover broth from the gumbo with ease.

For dessert, Husband and I made a checkerboard cake. It’s a retro “company” cake that never fails to impress people once sliced. You prepare two separate batters, a vanilla and a chocolate, then you bake three cakes: one with a vanilla batter ring on the outside, a vanilla batter dot in the centre and a chocolate ring between them, then two cakes in the opposite bulls-eye pattern. Once they’re cooled, you stack them with a fruit spread between the layers. Make sure the layer with the vanilla outside ring is in the middle, then you slather the entire thing in a rich chocolate ganache.

Once it’s sliced, each piece has this really impressive checkerboard pattern and everyone “ooh”’s and “ahh”’s over your culinary prowess. I know, I know, no pictures?! We basically devoured everything before I could get a chance to photograph it…but I assure you it was impressive!

A friend of mine refers to the diner-style Kraft-Singles-and-white-bread grilled cheese as “dirty” grilled cheese….mostly because it’s made from things that are processed and hardly resemble food anymore, and because that version contains little to no nutritional value. Of course, none of that information meant anything to us when we were six years old. All we knew about dirty grilled cheese sandwiches back then was that they were a delicious treat and Mom didn’t let us eat them nearly enough!

Every once in a long while, I indulge that childhood craving and make a dirty grilled cheese. Of course, my palette has developed a little in the last 20-some years and the idea of store-bought white bread between my teeth makes me cringe and gag at the same time…so I use a delicious grainery bread with flax that toasts up so nicely in the pan I could consume the bread without the fillings!

The dirty part comes in with the fillings. The cheese is Vegan Gourmet mozzarella style cheese…something I always feel guilty about purchasing because I can’t eat it on it’s own; it’s only tolerable to me when it’s used in small quantities and melted together with/into something else.

I also threw in some Tofurky deli slices with the cheese. Again, I almost never purchase these. I didn’t like lunch meat sandwiches before going veg, I certainly don’t like fake lunch meat sandwiches now that I am veg. Husband, on the other hand, would live off sandwiches if I’d let him! So, occasionally, I’ll throw him a bone, so to speak, and get some fake meat slices for him.

The whole works got slathered in Earth Balance and pan-fried till toasted and gooey. I cut them in half diagonally (just like Mom used to!) and we dipped them generously in a very gourmet side of ketchup (organic ketchup! once you go organic, you’ll never go back to Heinz again, I promise! the flavour of organic ketchup is so superior in every way to that other red sauce. give it a shot, if you haven’t already).

I have to admit, it was pretty tasty. I could never eat dirty grilled cheese as often as I wanted to as a child; but, as a very occasional treat to use up the faux products in the fridge, it hits the spot. Just make sure your next meal is a really large, really green salad!

Today is Shuying’s birthday, and last night although I was out with the guys for a run into Malaysia she was very much on my mind. I sms-ed her ‘Happy Birthday Cheeky Monkey’ shortly after midnight. And in between the rushes of adrenalin, thoughts of her flooded my mind again.

Over the past week 2 close friends have asked me again how am I, what can I say but my heart still beats within the one that I love. I know that it is a lost cause, but the thing about emotions such as this is that there is absolutely no logic in them. But one thing I am glad is business is keeping me extremely busy. However I worry when my body will give in, the 3 weeks on the road have taken a toil on my health. 2 weeks without any exercise I could feel my body deteriorate and am keen to go back on it again, hopefully the weather will be kind.

Next week I will start my diving classes and hopefully by the end of the year I will be able to immerse myself into the depths of one of the world’s most beautiful places. There were so many things that I had wanted to do together with Shuying, but alas now that is a distant dream.

When I was growing up, I guess I was very much a dreamer always thinking of creating something. An Inventor was the answer I gave when everyone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. But after I came out to society, that changed quickly when I found the initial years rather easy when I changed countless jobs searching for that perfect one.

Sometimes I wonder if one of my friends is right that I do that too for love as well, looking for the love of my life instead of settling for something mediocre. But honestly of the many couples that I know perhaps there are less than five who have truly found that. But am I to give up my ideals because it is so difficult, perhaps being alone instead of settling is a better option.

Just yesterday I met up with Kitson again, asking for a favour from him to help pass a present to Shuying which I had got half a year back. Although I truly yearn to see her again I remember how I felt when I last bumped into her at Paulaner Brahaus. Kitson is also not in a good state, in business and in his private matters so he understands fully what I am going through. He knows truly what I meant when I told him that I had lost the love of my life. Somehow we may recover but we never completely heal, its a scar we carry for the rest of our lives.

But anyway my days in Singapore are numbered and I will be off again for the business demands it. I wonder if I am doing this also to escape like what I have done almost 9 years ago. However I do not want to end up going on a rebound and screwing up my life again once more.

One thing I have to say in conclusion I guess, I still feel extremely lucky to have gotten to know someone like Shuying. She brought the most good into my life and made the greatest impact. I wish that she would be less cold towards me now, but then I should reap the harvest that I have sown (mea culpa). If only I could turn back time, what would I do?

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp Gelatin
2 Tbsp Cold Water
3 Egg Yolks
1/3 c +1 Tbs. Sugar
1 ¼ c Pumpkin
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Allspice
1 c Heavy Cream, whipped

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Place bowl in simmering water and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Beat egg yolks with sugar. Stir in pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and dissolved gelatin. Fold whipped cream gently into pumpkin mixture. Pour mousse in mold or bowl and chill thoroughly. Serve with vanilla sauce. Serves 8.

VANILLA SAUCE

Scald milk and light cream with vanilla. In double boiler, beat egg yolks
and sugar and a pinch of salt. Gradually beat in hot milk mixture. Cook sauce over hot water, stirring constantly until it thickens and coats a spoon. (If it does not thicken, add a little flour.)  Strain sauce to remove lumps.   Chill.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Source: “MOUNTAIN MEASURES” A Collection of West Virginia Recipes
~ The Junior League of Charleston, West Virginia
ed. 1974

This morning, the sun was shining through the window in just such a way that the mango in the fruit basket was glowing with a lovely warmth. It might as well have been trying to jump directly into my mouth! I scooped it up quickly and all but sprinted to the cutting board; ready to cut into that mango and reveal the wonderful sunshine-coloured flesh inside.

I remembered the pomegranate in the fridge and decided that those sparkly red jewels would go perfectly with the tropical bounty. I tossed the two with a little banana and purple grape for variety and texture and Husband and I inhaled our heaping bowls of juicy, ripe fruit along with our morning coffee.

This fruit salad quickly became one of my all-time favourites. The combination of the smoothness of mango, tart crunch of pomegranate, creamy sweetness of banana and toothsome chewiness of grape exploded with flavour all over the palette. It definitely woke up my taste buds this morning and was such a wonderful way to start the morning…curled up in a comfy chair with my bowl, a mug of steaming dark roast, and the hazy morning sunlight warming my cheeks.

After 3 long weeks in the road, I have finally returned to Singapore. However this will not last long as I am scheduled to be back on the road shortly again. Although the travelling has kept me busy, it has not stopped my thoughts of my BB. From Bangkok to Shanghai and then Abu Dhabi, thoughts of Shuying had never been far from my mind.

It doesnt matter if I am enjoying a nice sight or having a great meal, I always wish that she was by my side. Somehow memories are made more of sharing wonderful moments with the people you love rather than the place itself.

During this trip to Abu Dhabi, over drinks I got to know my local partner better and we both agreed that what made us remember a place was the people. Both of us although born thousands of miles apart were of the same era, born in the same year. Being global citizens, we share pretty much the same mindset. Both of us having spent a considerable part of our lives in various parts of the world.

Somehow the people I’ve met always have the impression that I am a workaholic, but little do they know that I am just working at this pace because without which my life would be rather empty.

Abu Dhabi is a very interesting place, situated in the desert blessed with black gold it had been able to invest in world class infrastructure and its people. Never have I seen so many ice skating rinks in shopping malls and fountains everywhere. Once the project starts, I will have to spend a considerable amount of time here.

As I embark onto the next chapter of my life, I find myself far from home and I cant help but feel loneliness.

In a couple of days, my bb will be celebrating her birthday. How I wish I could be celebrating it for her, but alas her new beau will fulfill that role.