taste: laduree macarons

when i bought these
laduree was having a collab
with louboutin...
so i got mine in a little limited edition box
which featured louboutin designs all over it!

there was also this man, who was making
his purchase right before me
and he bought GBP500 worth!
i almost wanted to ask if he wouldn't mind
just paying for mine too.

taste: saturday morning caramel apple waffles

we used caramel apple waffle and pancake mix from williams sonoma and followed the recipe on the tin which called for the basics:
butter, egg, and milk.
mix it all together (don't overmix) and get the batter in your waffle-maker.
when it's ready, your waffle-maker will somehow tell you it is -
whether with a little ding of a bell a la toaster, or in our case,
a little red light turned on above the words 'ready' on the gadget.
transfer the golden disc of deliciousness onto a plate.
optional: smidgen of butter, drizzle of maple syrup.
happy saturday!

(i had some over-easy eggs and pomegranate green tea with mine too!)

do: a great indoor adventure

we built an indoor fort
ate grilled cheese
drank warm yummy beverages
had popcorn
and chocolate covered
peanuts & raisins
and watched a movie
in our flannel pj's
(in our fort complete with
a secret password!)

love: hummingbird bakery, notting hill

i can't tell you how delicious
these precious little cupcakes
are (especially the red velvet)!
and who doesn't love pretty
pastel buttercream frosting
and sprinkles?
even their packaging
with the little pink hummingbird silhouette
is adorable!
if you are ever in notting hill,
do pay hummingbird bakery a visit.
and if it happens to be summer, sit outside
the bakery and people watch
(so many brilliantly dressed folks around there)
while satisfying your sweet tooth.

taste: sweet awesome rhubarb + turkish yogurt cake

so i found this recipe while
browsing one of the many blogs
that make me so hungry,
o pistachio ...
and i really want to make this now.
but alas, i don't have any rhubarb.
must find/buy some.
tomorrow.




turkish yogurt cake

4 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup superfine (caster) sugar
3 tbsp all-purpose (plain) flour
1 2/3 cup strained Greek-style yoghurt
grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar to a thick, pale cream. Beat in the flour, then the yoghurt, lemon zest, and lemon juice until it is thoroughly blended. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the yoghurt mixture. Pour this into a round, nonstick baking tin (about 9 inches in diameter), greased with butter.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is brown. It will puff up like a soufflé and then subside. Turn out onto a serving plate, and serve warm or cold.

stewed rhubarb with ginger

3 cups rhubarb stalks (about 4 stalks), green leaves discarded, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/3 cup sugar
zest of one orange
2 tbsp minced candied ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. (This could easily be prepared on the stovetop - and in that way, I suppose, would be properly stewed - but if you're making it together with the yoghurt cake, it makes sense to cook them in the oven together.)

Combine the rhubarb, sugar, orange zest, vanilla and ginger in a lightly buttered baking pan and allow to macerate for 15 minutes. Cut the butter into small pieces and dot over the surface of the fruit. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the rhubarb is soft.

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recipe and images via o pistachio

taste: london eats

a few snaps of my grub
when i was recently away...

oh, p.s. i got to eat at jamie's
(but it was so good & i was too happy to eat there
i didn't take any photos...)

taste: a summery weekend (finally!)

it finally feels like summer here!
weekend weather was superbly hot
and on friday we had a lovely soiree
at a friend-slash-colleague's
quaint 2nd floor balcony
in the heart of kensington market.
and can i please tell you about the food:
pesto & spinach sausages, veal burgers with goat cheese
and sundried tomatoes, washed down with lots
and lots of beer, and sweet yellow mangoes for dessert.

saturday came and the summer heat
decided to stay a little while more.
so my parents threw an impromptu family bbq.
i made grilled vegetable antipasti:
zucchini, yellow, green and red peppers,
and onions all primly blackened and
caramelized, sliced and tossed in garlic
flavoured olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt
& pepper.i also made a fresh summer salad:
cucumbers, red onion, avocado, lots of dill,
chunks of brie, and a touch of lime juice and coarse salt.
the humid night wore on as we ate
ice cream and watermelon.

then, i had the most wonderful sunday evening.
the boy's parents and grandparents threw me
a little surprise birthday dinner.
we had: shrimp har gow, spring rolls, and
chicken corn soup to start. then, ginger and garlic lobster
with traditional chinese sweet dough bread, and
chicken in szechuan peanut sauce.
his parents know how much i love his
maternal grandparents and truly consider
them as my own. they are among the most
wonderful and extraordinary people i know,
and i could not have asked for a better
early birthday and end to the summery weekend.

---
images from martha stewart

taste: simple salads

for those of us who eat our greens religiously
and are always looking for new salads to make
(because plain mixed greens or caesar
just doesn't cut it some days;
not to mention how expensive it can get
when you buy it ready-made)
here are some awesome salad recipes
that are not only incredibly simple to make
but also won't piss off your tastebuds.

---
image & recipes via nytimes

taste: pho

pho (traditional vietnamese beef noodle soup)
is an awesome comfort food.
but what's more awesome is this
tableware set designed specifically for this dish
(and meant to look like a traditional vietnamese lantern)
by designer omid sadri.





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found via yankodesign

taste: ice cream cupcakes

i love cupcakes, ice cream, and martha stewart.
i am not great at baking, but most of the time, it turns out pretty good.
i can't wait to try and make these.
(mostly i think it's a genius excuse to eat cupcakes and gelato at once).


What you need:
(makes 4 dozen mini cupcakes)
1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp warm water
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk
14 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

4 pints ice cream and gelato, slightly softened

What you do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini-muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a mixer bowl. Transfer bowl to mixer, and add egg, yolk, water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until mixture is well combined and smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Divide batter among liners, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks for 30 minutes. Invert cupcakes onto racks, and let cool completely. (Cupcakes can be stored for up to 3 days.)
4. using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop, press a scoop of ice cream or gelato on top of each cupcake.

---
this morning, i got into a car accident.
i am ok.
our poor car is not.