October's bits and pieces

Whitechapel Gallery

London is so full of little treasures dotted here and there. It never fails to surprise me. I visited Whitechapel Gallery recently for its Wilhelm Sasnal exhibition. After I went through all of their special exhibits, it turned out that it's their Government Art Collection (GAC) which I like the most. In GAC, you can see 70 selected paintings covering from ceiling to floor displaying colors of rainbows. They were once hung in British governmental offices, here or oversea to promote British art, hence the title. You can find a portrait of Queen Elisabeth II by Andy Warhol from the British council residence in New York, a bright yellow Poor Thing by Gary Hume humorously from HM Treasury, a Monet-like Venice at midnight by Robert Buhler from British Embassy at Buchares and Print for a Politician by Grayson Perry. Here are just a few of my favorites and I can go on and on. It's a wonderful collection which captures the humour and thinking behind why those art work were chosen in the first place. I absolutely love it.

By the way, do you know that they have a Rothko too?

London buses

Tubes tend to be better known and used by non-Londoners but recently I have become to like the extensive London Bus network. It does some preparation, like printing out the route maps centered on intended stops, if you are not familiar with the system. Once you have the route map at hand, just sit back and relax. Let the double decker take you around the Metropolitan.

Fab.

Beigel Bake

I first tasted them many years ago and I tried them again this year. Nothing has changed. It continues to be one of the best bagel shops I know on this side of the Atlantic. Simple, chewy and flavorful. Their Salt Beef Beigel sandwich is divine.

Chilli Cool

I have recently become besotted with Szechuan cuisine. It all started when my friend Stephanie took me to one of her favorite Szechuan restaurants in New York city. I was hooked from the beginning. Chilli Cool is one of the places in London which get rave reviews. I've got to try!

Cooking discoveries

• Lorraine Pascale's Lamb Shanks in Rioja and Balsamic vinegar. Fantastic.
• My very first Salmon en croute. Apart from that the whole salmon parcel was too big to fit into my small oven initially, the taste was nice. I will work on it for a few more times before I share the result.
• My favorite apple cake. Recipe to come.
• Red wine poached pear and plums. Delicious on its own or with yoghurt.

Looks like my cooking bug has come back. Welcome.

See you all in November.