So cauliflower season has come and gone. Which is a fair pity because it was only the other day that I came across this set of photos from a time long past.
It was Winter then, with a capital W. Way back when cauliflower’s squeaky, crumbly, albino, brain-like florets were in such plentiful supply that our local fruit-and-vegetable-ery sold it by the pre-deconstructed punnet.
They say it’s impossible to fake a smile.
Sure, your lips might point skyward and your cheeks may ache from the effort, but anyone looking carefully will most certainly detect something missing. A glint in the eyes. An involuntary crinkle of the nose. The subtle signs of contentedness. Humor. Joy.
It all started with an email.
“I miss your posts! Its been since what, June? I know you’re probably crazy busy. But post something. Even if its a hello, chocolate is tasty, the weather is hot.”
A gentle poke to remind me of where I left off. And an enquiry about soba noodles.
It’s not often I write dedicate posts, but this one’s for you. For the silent readers that have tolerated my periodic disappearances. For the kindly worded emails. For coming back after my short (or long) hiatuses. For asking questions about dumplings. And soba. And cake. Always cake.
Four years of high school German and all I got out of it was the ability to ask someone for directions to a bus stop* and a drinking song.
In München steht ein Hofbräuhaus (Eins, Zwei, g’suffa! )
Da läuft so manches Fäßchen aus (Eins, Zwei, g’suffa!)
Da hat schon mancher brave Mann (Eins, Zwei, g’suffa!)
Gezeigt, was er so vertragen kann (Eins, Zwei, g’suffa!)
(And, at a much later date, a very large appreciation for bier.)
Birthdays (not mine) are exciting occasions. An excuse to spoil your nearest and dearest without the additional barrier of “pai sei” that usually comes with.
(“pai sei” – hokkien. Also known as that awkward attempt to deferentially and only semi-wholeheartedly decline a gift because it would lead to an inequality in the friendship wherein one person is supposedly taking more than they have given and no, I couldn’t possibly accept that because the world may explode as a result. Truly. I’m doing it for your own good. Oh you really want me to have it? Well thanks then, I will. Hm.)
…continue reading burnt salted caramel & honeycomb ice-cream
