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.

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.

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.

Oak Park

Transformers 3 was (still is?) filming in Chicago this weekend, so we decided to trade the noisy city and annoying street closures for Oak Park... just 8 miles away. I have been wanting to see this suburb for myself, so this was a highly anticipated day trip! First, we stopped by Freddy's in Cicero for some pizza and basil gelato. Such perfect gelato! It was abundant with chopped basil leaves and robust with flavour. I could not recommend the gelato more.

A trip to Oak Park would not be complete without a stroll by Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural works. We only made it to the homes on Forest Avenue, but what remarkable homes they were! My favourite was the Arthur Heurtley home (pictured directly above), beautiful brickwork in earthy tones.

At the end of Forest Avenue, we stumbled across Austin Gardens where actors were rehearsing Shakespeare's Love's Labour Lost for next week. After a leisurely walk in the quaint downtown area (so many cafes and restaurants!), it started drizzling on us so we had to head back home. I loved this weekend. Chicago is nice, but sometimes you just need a change of scenery!

A change of scenery is definitely what I will be getting this week. I leave for Asia on Wednesday. December 2008 was the last time I was home, so this has been a long anticipated trip. I will miss my Second City though... my comfortable apartment, my little blue Betta fish named Staccato, and the people I love here.

Such is the life of a student far away from home.