Grahamwich

Popcorn with truffle oil, grated parmesan, chives, sea salt and cracked pepper.

Beef shortrib sandwich with pickled shallots, watercress, horseradish and shoestring potatoes.

Orange-ginger soda.

I was curious about Graham Elliot's new sandwich shop, and it met all my expectations. How I love you, Grahamwich!

Christmas

I never thought I'd get here, but here I am... the long nights and boring critiques of the semester behind me. I still have plenty to do for the next year, but I am going to enjoy doing nothing for a few more days.





So, it's Christmas! I was so excited about the holiday season: putting up a tree, listening to an insufferable amount of Jackson 5 Christmas music, and even throwing a small ugly sweater soiree. Unfortunately, I spent Christmas Day itself with a sore throat and a healthy dose of lethargy. Sad, really. I was hoping that maybe, JUST MAYBE, I'd hit December 25th without picking up some awful bug, but nope! Somehow, Paul and I ended up sick.

We had to skip out on his sister's Christmas meal so I decided to make our Christmas feast (ha!)-- congee with shiitake mushrooms and egg. Perfect food for the infirm. This is a good guide to making congee. I used minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and plenty of scallions. Nothing quite to it, so I won't go into great detail... just remember to crack an egg in towards the end.



I hope we feel better soon, because my sister and brother-in-law will be in town for New Year's and the last thing I want is to be this bumbling tired mess of germs. I have a nice plump list of restaurants to dine at-- determined to show them what Chicago's made of! Maybe I'll even cook a bit.

Well, one thing's for sure. I'll be updating a bit more frequently now that I am no longer plagued with finals and critiques, perhaps some of you even missed my updates. :)

Xiao Long Bao (Soup dumplings)

I have a fair lot of work to do this week, so this will be brief.





I like soup dumplings, and Tasty House in Chinatown makes them quite well. Reminds me of home, which I miss.

Staying Afloat

Of course, the most hectic period of the semester has to coincide with the prettiest Chicago weather, right? I mean, really, there are about 33 things I'd much rather do, like sip tea with Nicole Krauss' new novel 'Great House'. Or take long walks around the neighbourhood, admiring all the gorgeous little dogs out for their evening exercise. Or bake muffins only to give half the batch away to a friend.







I've quickly found the key to my sanity in this rigorous design program, and that is to allow myself some time to absorb the things around me and to do things I actually find true pleasure in doing. Going to farmers' markets, picking out enticing recipes to try at the end of the week, cooking with my boyfriend and taking pictures of leaves on a sidewalk. This keeps me sane. So in a way, I owe some gratitude to my blog, because it is inexplicably easy to find myself overwhelmed in a whirlwind of deadlines and late nights filled with hours upon hours of manual work. It's all okay if at the end of the week, I can come back home, heave a sigh of relief, and whip up a fresh pot of stock out of some leftover chicken bones. More Charm Than Good, you keep me grounded.

Rosemary, Honey and Sea Salt Shortbread

It is without question that tea's best friend, lover and soulmate is shortbread.



At first glance, it may seem bizarre. Rosemary, honey and sea salt? Oh, but doubt me not! It is ethereal; each little nibble crumbling and melting in your mouth, leaving you with a curious and intriguing aftertaste. Fresh rosemary brings such fragrance to this buttery shortbread, and the sea salt sprinkled before baking elevates this beautifully. You know how there are certain things in life that fill you with plump satisfaction, yet, even after, you find yourself yearning for just a little bit more? This is exactly that.



I discovered three things after starting the recipe:-

a) I don't own any cookie cutters. None, zilch, zero.
b) My neighbourhood grocery store, Potash Brothers, does not have cookie cutters in stock until the holiday season.
c) Champagne flute glasses make marvelous cookie cutters if you're in a bit of a rut, as I was.

Mmm, and need I remind you that it is perfect for the coming tea season? For me, it was partnered with a slightly oversteeped cup of chai, no sugar. Delectable. Look at how darling these are, little butter-white circles playfully speckled with fresh rosemary!



Recipe: from Epicurious. I found it easier to chill the dough for a few minutes before rolling it out and putting my champagne flutes to work. Also, I highly recommend a light dusting of coarse sea salt just before you pop it in the oven.

Say Hello to Autumn

I am waiting in great anticipation for the leaves to change, to see both trees and the ground swathed in a flurry of strong reds and oranges. This is my favourite time of the year! Tights the colour of a ruby port, pumpkin spice, and just enough nip in the air to require a soft cardigan, but not quite a wool coat.



My boyfriend and I decided to usher fall in by going to the Lincoln Square Apple Fest. Fresh locally harvested produce, pastries, cider, and buckets of apples, apples, and apples, of course. We bought some concord grapes and I've been wanting to make something out of them (jam, perhaps?), but they are so incredibly robust and flavourful on their own that I am unsure they will last even a few more days in my fridge!





I was sad that we missed out on the legendary apple pie (word on the street is that people dream about these at night!), but there's always next year.



On our way back home, we stumbled upon Lawrence Fish Market. Try to visualise the most unassuming hole-in-the-wall EVER where they serve up fresh and affordable sushi, and you have LFM. $2.95 maki rolls and $1 generously portioned nigiri? Unheard of in Chicago, but not at this dinky little fish shop. You will see a worn and tattered carseat in the store, and you may think twice... but don't. Just do it.



Enjoy the weather, everyone. Especially if you're in Chicago, because we know the ugly days will soon be upon us. :)

Caramelised Figs and Cream

If you feel like your life may need just a smidgen of heaven, make these. Drizzle ripe figs with honey, pop in oven, whip cream, and say hello to the great beyond. I think this may be one of the most seductive and simple desserts ever.

Weeknight Dinner

Just a simple dinner that takes less than 40 minutes from stove to dining table. Pork chop a in palm sugar-garlic-soy sauce-sesame-oil glaze, brown rice, and lots and lots of greens. I bought a nice fistful of organic fresh spinach (with roots and bits of soil and everything) and I think it's safe to say that my days of bagged spinach are over.

Yum.

Pavlova

Oh, pavlova. Even its name ignites thoughts of a clandestine lover of some sort. Making this dessert was an almost emotional experience, because it was only something I had at picnics and dinner parties with my Australian girl friends back in beautiful Mount Eliza. Pavlova, to me, is synonymous with weekends spent on their farms and homes, playing out in the garden or floating on a tube in a pond and coming back to a meal, and of course, dessert--- all lovingly prepared by their mothers.



It has been 5 years since I have seen any of my dear old friends, and 5 years since my tongue last tasted pavlova. I miss Australia and boarding school all the time, but making this allowed me to have a slice of Australia back.

I remember the first time I had it, a whimsical symphony of crisp meringue with a cloudlike soft centre, topped with an avalanche of fresh cream and finally... seasonal fruit. Raspberries, I think, are divine with this, as the tartness perfectly counterbalances the sweetness of the meringue. You can use whatever you may have on hand.



I made more than my boyfriend and I could possibly eat (out of any regard for our waistlines), so I gave a generous serving to my favourite doorman. He looked amused, and I trust he enjoyed it.

It is one of my favourite desserts, for the reasons mentioned above. You absolutely must make it! Recipe here.

Fall 2010

It's been a while since my last update. School has been busybusybusy and I have settled back into the swing of things. My apartment is an absolute mess and already I am planning trips to the fabric store and trying to figure out model casting for my first project. I even transformed one of my closets into a makeshift pattern rack... it's sad. But really, it's nice to have so much to occupy myself with.

My friend Derek just moved to Chicago from my past school, University of Virginia, so we had some Arnold Palmers at Bourgeois Pig. I have always loved that cafe! Good place to cozy up with some solid reading or an old friend.

Here are pictures of two things that make me very happy: chirashi, and mango with sticky rice. Yum.

Blueberry Pancakes

I have been sleeping very strange hours due to jetlag. Last night, I nodded off from 8pm - 2am, and then again from 4am - 8am. Being up that early with nothing to do, I decided to make blueberry pancakes for Paul. I'm not a sweet breakfast sort of person (I prefer scrambled eggs with chives and other savoury goodies) so I took only a few bites before surrendering my portion to my boyfriend.

These were good. Fluffy, sweet and satisfying. I substituted milk with vanilla almond milk; I thought it tasted lovely like that! Vanilla almond milk is my absolute favourite.

Anyway, we are going on a mini trip somewhere close today! Tip: it's Southern.

No Place Quite Like Home

It is nearly time to leave. Why do I feel robbed by time? When I left Chicago in July, August felt so far away, and now it's past mid-August and my string of flights over the Pacific is only four days away.

So I have been absorbing a year's worth of memories and sensory details to last me the next 365 days or more. Probably more.

Like falling asleep to the music of Malaysian rain at night. I say 'Malaysian' rain because it sounds different compared to rain in Chicago. I'm serious! Rain in Chicago often strikes fear in my heart. It's almost vengeful. But the nightly showers here are like beautiful wet xylophone notes to my ears.



Oh, and being woken up by a pair of sand-coloured paws prodding against my arm. It's almost always too early for that, but dogs don't always have the greatest sense of time. Sometimes as I am typing away on the computer, she decides after an hour that she has had enough of this lack of attention. So she plants herself next to the desk and whines until I call out various permutations of her name (Lou-Lou, Alou, Louette, Woo Woo, Booette, Little Lou-Lou, etc.) in her favourite language... Babytalk. Alouette has my heart.




Let's not forget durian, and the wonderful durian stalls with their huge colourful umbrellas littered around the city, ready to serve you the creamy custard fruit of the gods. If you are Southeast Asian and you do not like durian... I cannot trust you.



Kuih tako, I saved you till last because I am most thankful to you. Your soft pandan and coconut milk self amuses my bouche and has saved me from the monotony of a strict post wisdom teeth extraction diet. Mashed up fruit gets old after a while.



Sigh. I am sad to leave home, but very happy to have been here.

Borneo

What an eventful and busy few weeks! After my sister's Chinese wedding reception in Kuala Lumpur, we packed our bags and boarded a flight to Sabah, located on the island of Borneo, Malaysia. We had a rather large entourage consisting of 10 and spanning 3 generations! It has been a good while since I last travelled in a large group, but it was very fun.







Shangri-La Tanjung Aru was beyond lovely. Upon arrival, we were greeted with the strong resonant boom of a gong at the entrance to the resort. Sipping on our welcome drink of chilled lemongrass tea in the dark wood and amber-lit lobby, we enjoyed the gentle lulling of the gamelan musician. Fell in love with Shangri-La from this moment on! It's the little things that make a lasting impression: having a bowl of fruit in your room every morning and pink and white shells as delicate little soapdishes. My future home will have shells as soapdishes. :)







Visiting a cultural village deep in the Sabahan forest made me see things very differently. Such richness and variety in culture. And all in my very own Malaysia! These were all things I learnt in textbooks growing up, but seeing things in person is something else. I felt so bland and boring culture-wise, being raised in the city of Kuala Lumpur instead of some obscure tribe of Borneo. The village itself was lush and green, with babbling waterfalls and creeks and slightly rickety bamboo homes. In that idyllic setting, I found myself wondering if I could live such a simple life. It would be nice to get away from the concrete jungle of Chicago and lose myself in all that greenery and fresh fruit (haha), but the answer is probably no. I'd have to work a little harder on my blowpipe skills, for one. Oh, and I would miss sushi, Anthropologie, and um... the ability to Google.




Meet my friend, Masa. Masa is an orangutan and she was my favourite in the sanctuary. She would look right into your eyes if you called her name, and such warm and kind eyes she had! The tigers are clearly in love; the one in the foreground is obviously me and the one displaying his masculinity/trying to get me to leave him alone is Paul, my boyfriend.

I cannot wait to go back to Sabah or anywhere else in Borneo. It did not feel like I was in Malaysia (it felt more like Indonesia) and it was agreed upon by all that Sabahans are much friendlier than KLites! Also, the seafood. Mmmm, sweet sweet seafood. Till next time, Borneo!