January 19th, 2012
The festive season is almost upon us!
A time for eating and drinking and eating some more. A time for presents and new clothes and seeing your relatives and celebrations. A time for cleaning the house from top to bottom and eating nothing but leftovers for days on end.
(“Whaaaaat?” I can hear you say to yourselves. “This girl’s lost the plot. We just finished the festive season… didn’t we?”)
Well yes. And no. Not if you’re Chinese anyway.
So grab a lettuce for your local lion dancer and stuff some dollars (notes, not coins please) into a red packet because Chinese New Year comes Monday morning!
…continue reading dragon’s eggs (tang yuen)
January 16th, 2012
Chocolate.
Rich, gooey, melty, oozing, smooth, handsome, delicious chocolate.
Give me a fruit crumble with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream any day.
No! Don’t switch pages! Not just yet… I mean, just because I’m not a devout chocoholic doesn’t mean I don’t like the occasional nibble or two. Sometimes even three! It’s just… chocolate is so… overwhelming.
And I am easily overwhelmed.
…continue reading dark chocolate espresso mousse cake
January 11th, 2012
I remember the first time my mother made mango pudding. She’d borrowed the recipe from a friend after tasting it somewhere-or-other and (in what appears to be a habit I’ve since inherited from her) made it with little regard to her friend’s careful notes.
She bought mango jelly crystals from the Chinese supermarket in preparation for the task (this was long before regular stores stocked such ‘exotic’ flavours).
A tin of evaporated milk.
A bowl full of ripe, fresh mangoes.
…continue reading mango pudding icecream
January 4th, 2012
“I won’t eat it!” shrieked the Bean. “You can’t make me!”
“It’s really tasty” said my mother.
“And you might like it this time” coerced my father.
“No! Never! Eeeyeurgh!” came the response.
“Well, I guess there’s more for me then” said I, prying open the lid of the container.
The Bean, not waiting for the smell to assault her senses, fled the room.
…continue reading durian ice cream
December 14th, 2011
Imagine me, alone in my kitchen at half past eight on a Friday night with the girls coming over for lunch the next day.
The ribs were rubbed and waiting for a beer bath. The table was set.
And there was nothing on the menu for dessert. Nothing. For. Dessert.
(Ok, so there were the cookies I’d made earlier and a couple of punnets of cherries, but please. That was not going to do. Especially for an Argentinian barbecue themed Christmas feast.)
…continue reading tres leches bombe alaska
