mango on an apple

Good Things to Share

on Friday 8 June 2012

in favourites, recipes

Detailed cookbook full of goodies and stunning photography

Still in Vancouver, still waiting for my visa application to go through. It has been really difficult to watch things happen while my own life is out of my control, and stalled. There are good and bad days, but each day so far has been marked by the sameness of not receiving the notification that my visa has been granted.

I’ve turned some of my attention to catching up on projects that I’ve set aside for too long, and also to getting into the library(!) because I have read through most of my childhood bookshelves. I decided to explore a section I had never been to before – the cooking section – and came home with two gems.

Inside Heston Blumenthal at Home

For those who are unfamiliar, Heston Blumenthal is the chef of renowned 3-Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck, in Berkshire, west of London, England. His menus are very experimental and I can’t say they look like quite my sort of thing, but in order to be so experimental, one has to know the basics inside out. That’s what this cookbook is – a lot of really solid and basic cooking knowledge with recipes, theory, and wonderful photography. As I flipped through the book quickly in the library, the whole section dedicated to cooking stocks caught my eye, and I was sold. I’m perpetually on a hunt for good homemade veggie stock that I can fill my freezer with! The theory sections in the book are also proving to be interesting – I’m a geek when it comes to the chemistry of cooking and baking, and the book definitely satisfies my need to know why you should do certain things in your recipes, along with reliable recipes to try out.

The book is a hefty $69 in bookstores in Canada, but I have found it on Amazon for $37US, which is a bargain. I think I’ll be adding it to my cookbook repertoire soon! (Get Heston Blumenthal at Home here through Amazon – yes, I do get a little bit of the commission for telling you about this wonderful book.)

Don’t underestimate the power of words…

The other cookbook that has turned out to be incredibly interesting has been Melissa Clark’s Cook This Now. It is completely opposite of the Heston Blumenthal book in that there are no fancy photographs every few pages, and it is printed on modest recycled paper. It’s unusual for a cookbook without images to capture my attention so well, I have to admit, but Melissa is talking about something important here. There are 120 recipes arranged by month to help you figure out what to do with all the produce (or lack thereof) that’s in season. The recipes are easy and inventive, framed by little anecdotes about the seasons or that particular recipe, and my favourite: the “What Else?” sections at the end of the recipes to give you pointers on how to change things up, how to turn it into a quick meal, etc. It is through these anecdotes and the post scripts that Melissa’s enthusiasm about her cooking really shines, and I found myself caught up in her excitement and wishing I could lay my hands on some of the out-of-season veggies now to try the recipes. I’d like to think if I wrote a cookbook I’d be somewhat like her – bursting with information, tips, etc. to make sure my readers succeed with, and understand, and enjoy the dishes as much as I do!

The sun’s been peeking through the clouds once in a while today, and I’ve got to get another run in before my 10K race tomorrow. I say race loosely, because I am not really “racing” anyone, but nonetheless, it is an organized event that’s timed. I’ll check back in later to share what else has been going on in my stalled life!

{ 1 comment }

June Desktop Wallpaper

on Friday 1 June 2012

in design

Semiahmoo Resort, Blaine, WA

Yay for getting the June wallpaper out on time!

This is the month of our one year wedding anniversary, so I thought I’d pick a picture that reminds us of the happy celebrations: a picture of the exact spot where we got married a year ago! You’re also subjected to the date of our anniversary being in a slightly different colour, just because I can.

Here’s also to hoping for a lot more sunshine and a lot less rain, wherever you are. Here in Vancouver, we’re back to chilly and rainy days with no sight of summer in the near future. I’m still optimistic for a change coming soon, so I can finally stop rummaging my sister’s closet for old sweatshirts!

Download the 2560×1440 June desktop wallpaper
Download the 1920×1200 June desktop wallpaper
Download the 1440×900 June desktop wallpaper
Download the 1280×800 June desktop wallpaper

{ 1 comment }

On turning 28

on Wednesday 30 May 2012

in two cents

Well, here it is, the year I turn 28. It’s not supposed to be a big deal, I thought, but the occasion has spun itself into something with significance. For one, it is the first time in 9 years, (and I guess the first time since I haven’t been a “teenager”), that I’ve celebrated my birthday at home in Vancouver. Also, this is the first time since Alex and I have been together that we haven’t celebrated my birthday together. Yes, let’s all take a moment and wallow with me. Thank you.

The biggest reason that this birthday has turned into a bit of an introspective moment is because I’m looking back and realizing that time has absolutely flown by since my 25th birthday. That’s three years ago, when I was all “OMG I’m 25 what’s happening with my life?” And in those three years, a lot has happened. The most important thing is that I’ve taken a year off to try new things, see the world, and figure out what it is I want to do with my life. Now I think I owe it to myself, and the awesome people who have encouraged me throughout my journey, to come to a conclusion already.

In the past 14 months and 11 days, the biggest change I’ve noticed about myself is the progress I’ve made to be happy with who I am. Physically, I’ve had time to take care of myself after spending five years putting my career first (this is a nice way of saying that I ate comme une poubelle when I was working full time). I’ve been able to lose that nasty weight that crept up on me from sitting down for 12 hours or more a day, and I was able to wear my wedding dress without wishing I’d lost an extra ten pounds. This is one of the most extraordinary changes I’ve experienced that I have been able to see.

I’ve also learned that I love the career path I started for myself. I’ve missed working, being in the thick of everything digital daily, talking about cookies (of the non-edible kind) and budgets (slightly larger than the €20 per diem we allowed ourselves in Paris). I thrived on the challenges my old job gave me, and I look forward to continuing down that path.

That’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed my baking life in Paris. I have learned a lot more than when I started, and I am super psyched to have all this knowledge. I have yet to figure out what do with all of the ideas in my head, but I am excited that I will have them with me for the rest of my life. Paris was a really special experience not just because of the schooling aspect, but because of the whole lifestyle I had – living leisurely, eating well, and doing something I love everyday. That kind of lifestyle will always be the life I aspire to lead even when I return to work.

Of course, some things haven’t changed. I haven’t magically become someone who’s gone from a Type-A perfectionist to a super-laid-back c’est-la-vie kind of girl. I haven’t seen poverty from the developing nations and decided that I no longer need pretty things. To be honest, I’m relieved that these traits about me have stayed constant, because they make me who I am and I have grown to like my quirks. I didn’t set out on this journey to change; I set out to discover things I like about myself and things I want to change. On this day when I am supposed to be turning one year older and possibly wiser, I think I have amassed enough (for now) to help me go forth from here.

I wouldn’t trade the last three years of (can’t think of a more appropriate word) metamorphosis for anything, and I am so grateful I have had the people in my life to help me along. I am so excited to see what the future brings.

{ 1 comment }

Next Posts Previous Posts