Homemade chocolate fudge with mixed nuts and sour cherries

I didn't know fudge before I came to UK. I only knew of hot fudge, the type which you drizzle on ice cream or cakes.  Although being tempted by its basic but killer combo, sugar, butter, milk and vanilla (how can it not be nice?!), every time I taste commercial fudge I am surely disappointed. I've tasted grainy and sugary fudge so many times that I started to wonder maybe that's what traditional fudge should taste like.

Yes, I know candies are supposed to be sweet and I like my candies and dessert sweet. But there is a difference between pleasantly (or sinfully) sweet, and cloyingly and head spinningly sweet. I've also started to wonder whether there is a smooth type of fudge, the one which is slightly chewy at first but melt gradually in the mouth.

I think I found recipe which did just that. Lorraine Pascale's chocolate fudge recipe uses marshmallows which may be the secret ingredient for its smooth texture. I made some substitutions on the ingredients based on what I have at hands. I also added a handful of toasted nuts and dried sour cherries to bring some contrasting texture and taste. The result is a big hit, smooth, chocolaty, slightly chewy and sweet enough to make anyone happy and not head spinning. If you haven't made fudge before, this one is to try. We like it so much that it's a keeper.

Chocolate fudge with mixed nuts and sour cherries

vegetable oil, for greasing
70g/2½oz butter (I used 50g)
300g/10½oz soft light brown sugar (I used 200g)
125g/4½oz/2/3cup evaporated milk (I used 50mL cream + 75mL milk)
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
225g/8oz marshmallows (I used one 7oz/213g jar of marshmallow creme/fluff)
400g chocolate chips (100g milk and 300g dark chocolate)
1/2-1 cup mixed nuts, toasted
1/4 cup dried sour cherries

Grease a 23cm/9in square cake tin with vegetable oil, then line with greaseproof paper. You could use 20cm/8inch cake tin for a thicker fudge.

Use a pan of roughly 20cm high, heat the butter, sugar and evaporated milk together over a low heat and melt gently. Once the sugar and butter have dissolved, turn the heat to medium and boil for 5-6 minutes. Watch the pan carefully as the sugar mixture will generate lots of bubbles.

Turn off the heat and add in salt, vanilla extract and the marshmallows. Turn the heat back on and boil the fudge for a few more minutes until marshallows are all melted and mixed in.

Take the pan off the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Leave for one minute, then stir the mixture well until everything is mixed together. Stir in mixed nuts and sour cherries. There is no need to pre-chop the nuts. When you slice the fudge, nuts will be cut at the same time.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and leave to set for a couple of hours. Once set, remove from the tin and cut into 25 squares (or as big or small your heart desire).

Diet is for the new year.

Hummus from dried chickpeas

I am in the camp of canned beans. We all have too much in our hands to cook from dried beans. Good quality canned beans are not difficult to come by but some are not purse friendly. Also, I have a confession to make, that I have been scarred ever since stubborn chickpeas refused to get soft after two hours of cooking which happened long time ago. Imagine all these soaking, waiting, changing water and in the end, the little buggers still resolutely resist. Arrggh.

That was until today. Yotam Ottolenghi rarely lets me down and he wows me again this time. Following his method, this is the creamiest chickpeas I've ever cooked and the dreamiest hummus I've ever tasted. To go along the theme of bean economy, I cook 500 grams of dried chickpeas in one go which equates to one pack sold here, and use half for hummus and save half for later. You could halve the recipe but it's worth cooking more than you need. You will love these chickpeas from scratch.

Hummus from dried chickpeas
adapted from Hummus with ful by Yotam Ottolenghi

To cook chickpeas:

- 500 g dried chickpeas (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Water enough to submerge all soaked chickpeas
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 bay leaves

To make hummus:

- 2 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 5 tablespoons of tahini
- Pinch of cumin powder
- Juice from one lemon (more or less to taste)
- Sea salt
- 1/2 cup of chickpea cooking liquid

Soak dried chickpeas with twice volumes of cold water. Stir in one teaspoon of baking soda. Leave the bowl covered overnight (or at least 8 hours) on the kitchen table. I understand my baking soda amount is significantly less than what the original recipe specifies but this amount works for me. Feel free to use more if needed.

Drain and wash the chickpeas. In a big pot, put in drained chickpeas, cold water, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, onion chunks and 2 bay leaves. Bring the pot to boil, cover, and cook at low heat for 40 minutes. Chickpea quality varies, so you may need to adjust the cooking time to achieve soft and creamy texture.

When you can crush the chickpeas between fingers without any effort, it's done. Turn the heat off and drain the cooked chickpeas. Pick out the onion chunks and bay leaves. I like to rinse my cooked chickpeas with freshly boiled water to remove any baking soda no matter how faint it tastes. To make hummus, reserve 1/2 cup of liquid from rinsing the chickpeas.

To make hummus, blend together 2 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas, 2 garlic cloves, tahini, lemon juice, cumin powder and a few grinds of sea salt. Slowly add in chickpea cooking liquid to adjust its consistency. Taste the hummus and adjust seasoning. I find the hummus tastes exceptionally when it's just made and slightly warm. If you are not eating the hummus straightaway, 30 seconds in microwave should bring back the light and creamy texture if it's fridge cold.

I bake - Far Breton

I love any custardy dessert. Clafoutis is great with tender summer fruit. When long day and warm weather are replaced with long night and crisp air at night, Far Breton, a classic from Brittany, is more often on my mind. It has the same base as clafoutis (eggs, milk and sugar) but uses liquor soaked dried fruits (prunes being a classic) instead of fresh berries. With the first bite into Far Breton, the refreshed dried fruit and delicate custard gives an unmistakably a autumnal feel, rich and velvety, perfect accompaniment while watching falling yellow leaves.

Far Breton aux Pruneaux
based on recipes by Dorie Greenspan and Richard Bertinet

- 1 cup of dry prunes
- 1/4 cup of amaretto (or Armagnac, rum or brandy)
- 1/4 cup of water
- 2 cups of milk
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- One vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 3 eggs
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons of corn starch
- 2 tablespoons of plain flour
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- one 20x20cm square or round tin

The night before making Far Breton, soak the prunes in amaretto and water.

Warm the milk with vanilla pod (or vanilla extract) and sugar. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. As soon as sugar is dissolved, turn the heat off. Let the milk infuse with vanilla while you prepare the rest.

Butter generously your Far Breton container (with 4 tablespoons of butter). Lift out the rehydrated prunes and save the soaking liquid. Arrange the prunes on the bottom of the buttered container. Warm the container in a 200C oven for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix 3 eggs with salt, corn flour and plain flour. Slowly pour in milk while the mixer is running. Mix in the prune soaking liquid. Pour the batter into the heated container.

Turn the oven down to 180C. Bake it for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before serving. I like it at room or at body temperature.

I make - Chicken and bean stew

You will be amazed by the wonderful taste brought by the humble list of ingredients. It goes nicely with coconut rice (a nice twist on red bean rice).

Chicken and bean stew, based on CaribbeanPot recipe

- 6 chicken drum sticks, dusted with Caribbean all-purpose seasoning (or just salt and pinch of cayenne pepper)
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 medium onion, in 1-cm2 dices
- 3-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 can of tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- dashes of Worcester sauce
- 1 tablespoon of ketchup
- half thumb size of ginger, minced or grated
- thyme leaves
- ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder (just for color, optional)
- 1 can of kidney beans
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons of coconut cream/milk (optional)

Heat a casserole with a tablespoon of oil. Grill the drum sticks for one minute. Add in green onions and onion dices. Fry the onions until lightly brown. Add in crushed garlic.

Stir in tomatoes, soy sauce, Worcester sauce, ketchup, ginger and thyme. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce the heat to low-medium. Add in black pepper and turmeric powder (if using). Cook the stew for 30 minutes with the lid on. Add splash of water if the mixture becomes dry.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid and add in a can of kidney beans. Simmer for another 10-20 minutes. Taste and adjust with salt if necessary. Mix in coconut cream at the end of cooking process if using. Serve with plain or coconut rice (see below).

Coconut rice

- 2 cups of basmati rice, rinsed and soak in water for at least one hour
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of coconut cream
- 2 cups of hot water
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Heat a pot with 1/4 cup of coconut cream and green onion. When coconut cream almost melts, stir in drained basmati rice. Pour in 2 cups of hot water along with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Bring the pot back to boil. Put the lid on and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid with the heat on low, spread two tablespoons of coconut cream on top of the rice. The coconut cream should melt almost instantly to the bottom (you should hear the gentle sizzling sound). Use the rubber spatula to fluff the rice once or twice. Put the lid back on for another 5 minutes.

Turn the heat off. Fluff the rice again. Put the lid back to pot but leave a gap for another 10 minutes. You want the steam to escape and not accumulating in the pot. Enjoy the fluffy coconut rice.

Microwave dried rosemary

My friend, let me tell you, it's a revelation.

It all started with pruning our rosemary bush on one Sunday afternoon. I ended up with an armful  of rosemary branches after fierce pruning. Rosemary is a lovely herb, smelling so fresh and clean. I can't just compost those branches. So I consulted with Dr Google for a way to preserve herb. It seems that drying by oven and by microwave are two popular options.

Being a scientist at heart, I decided to try both. I shook the rosemary branches a few times to rid of bugs and dust. Then I washed the rosemary cuttings and towel dried the rosemary. I set the oven at 100C and sent in my rosemary on a baking sheet lined with paper towel. I kept the door ajar for steam to come out and also to keep the temperature not exceeding 100C. Half an hour later, my rosemary needles have become dark. They were not burned but dark and not even dry. Sad face.

Then I decided to try microwave. I lined the microwave rotating plate with two layers of paper towels and put washed and towel dried rosemary on top. I started with one minute at full power. Stopped the microwave, opened the door to let the steam escape (and wiped away any condensation) and check how dry my rosemary was. Then I repeated the same process a few times, until my rosemary needles became brittle. That's a sign when they are fully dry.

And look at the color of the final product, my friend. I am ecstatic! You wouldn't tell the rosemary is dry just by looking at it, as the microwave method keeps the rosemary bright green color so well. Now I know what to do with my garden herb!

That's Just Me (plus Pretty Good Things)

I am going through my seasonal low now. I am surprised I can be that moody. Hormonal, work related or SAD, maybe a combination of all, I don't know. That's just how I feel these days, just wanting to stay home, lack of va va voom.

There are still good things in life. It's just hard to look at the bright side all the time. I keep thinking what's the best way towards life, confronting everything head-on or going around sticking points. Some would probably tell me it depends. Yes, I know it depends, depending on what, how, who and where, sometimes. If I had the wisdom and courage to do what I really think is right, would I lead a happier, more satisfied and fulfilled life? I have no answers. I just know that I've learned to co-exist with myself over the years, accepting that there are personal limitations which I am not motivated to change or improve. These are compromises in life. I know that. You are what you make of yourself. I guess I can't really complain.

With that out of my chest, I am not lost in life, not yet at least. I still know how to make myself happy, by doing a few of my favorite things, such as:

- Spending a nice week in San Francisco this August, combining work and personal holiday. Northern California seems to be a very interesting place to visit, certainly a very pretty one. Have to go back one day. Did I tell you that I got upgraded to First Class on my return flight? Shhh.

- Making my first granola. I've been having granola this year as breakfast. Although I don't like to eat the same thing everyday, I am surprised that I am having granola most of the weekdays this year as breakfast. I had been wanting to make my own but other things got better hold of me. Until I saw Orangette's Granola No. 5 and with a liter bottle of maple syrup flying back with me from San Francisco, I told myself it's time. And yes, I am so glad I did and my mom is into granola now. Smile.

- Making this cake. Yes I did make this famous plum torte and it is as delicious as everyone said it should be. It makes a very elegant afternoon tea accompaniment or after dinner dessert. I also made it twice in the first week, first original and second chocolate and plum. Big smile.

- Re-reading The Examined Life. I will probably read it the third time. It's strangely therapeutic.

- Planting bulbs for next year. How can anyone not hope for the Spring?

One summer evening

We have another proper summer this year. You know, the kind that makes you sweat while sitting and crave icy cold watermelon chunks and a lot of water. Oh, also lots of turning in the middle of the night trying to find a cooler side. Yup.

I bought my first whole watermelon this year, first ever since I came to this country. It doesn't taste as good as I remember when I was a child but anything cold and hydrating is welcomed these days.

And I think I am having my third cucumber this month? It's a record considering I used to have like one per year. My favorite way of having cucumber is with yogurt, Tzatziki. There are lots of recipes on the web. I like to make mine by starting lightly salting the cucumber dices (seeds removed first). This step not only removes excess water which makes final product thicker, but also it removes the "raw/grassy" flavor of cucumber which I don't like. Rinse away excess salt by plunging the cucumber dices into water for a few seconds and pat dry. Place cucumber dices in a bowl, mix in plain yogurt, puree from half of a garlic clove and dill, dry or fresh, the more the better. No oil is required. 

Another thing which instantly imparts fresh feeling is coriander/cilantro. A simple salad of tomato, cucumber and coriander enhances any meal anytime. Tonight we had tomato, white beans and coriander salad. I also made aubergine in garlicky yogurt sauce topped with lots of coriander. We then had more yogurt for dessert. It's a summery night.

Hats off to Emmeline Pankhurst

Today is Emmeline Pankhurst's birthday. Thanks to her and those who joined her, British women can vote today. All is more special is because Church of England is still debating for women bishop in 2014, nearly 100 years after women's right to vote being granted.

You can read about her in her own words, My Own Story, free kindle version from Amazon. It's the least I could do, to salute to a character who helps shape my life.

I smell of thee

Summer is officially here. The sun is shining and the day is preciously long. The mother nature is very eager and not shy to show what she's got. Red, blue, green, yellow and white and all shades in between and in all possible mixing. It's such a joy to walk among nature's creation. I like thee.

The air smells perfumed where I work these days. I've been wondering where the scent comes from. I think I found the answer today, lime tree flowers. Not to be confused with the citrus fruit one, lime trees (or linden) are native to UK. It produces tiny yellow flower clusters in summer with a scent so irresistible that it kept me wondering for weeks. It's heady but not aggressive. It's also soothing, reminding me of a sunny afternoon when most mammals could do with a cool shade and a nap while only butterflies or bees busy themselves around any flowers they could find.

Now I know you, I adore thee.

Three Pretty Good Things - June 2014

Keukenhof

For a place which only opens one month each year, make sure you visit once in your life. 

Sun-blushed tomatoes

It never occurred to me that it's something I can make at home! I adapted Nigella Lawson's method to roast tomato halves at 100C for two hours. Since my oven is powered by solar panels, they are truly sun-blushed tomatoes. Absolutely gorgeous.

Oven-fried chicken

In fact, I used turkey in the picture, but corn flakes mixed with potato chips work wonder in this dish.

I love - Burger & Lobster

If you are on this side of the pond, you will know that Burger & Lobster has been a very popular place for the last couple of years. It's been my top 1 to try in my wish list. With my foodie cousin visiting this week, it felt like a great opportunity! Off we went!

B&L now has five locations in London and we went to the one in Soho. The decor is very American, wooden panel and red diner style couch. The place is pretty big but quickly filled up due to its popularity. We went there for lunch. The menu is simple, burger, whole lobster or lobster roll, all of the same price. We both opted for broiled lobster with lemon and garlic butter.

Wow, wow, wow, we are hugely impressed by what we got. The lobster was of a good size, sweet and succulent, and tasted very fresh with just a faint smokiness. The lemon and garlic butter is to die for. I scrape clean the serving bowl! The thinly cut chips and a bowl of salad dressed in reduced balsamic vinegar (I think) nicely complemented the lobster. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and will go back next time!

After that, we went to Maison Bertaux for dessertS (yes, in plural). Not that we were still hungry, but dessert is for another stomach, right? Wink. Have a good weekend, everyone.

Good morning

My dough bug is slowly coming back. I made challah last night, in a loaf pan. Easy does it, as far as dough is concerned.

We had it for breakfast, with generous cups of coffee, awaiting the weekend to unfold.

Good morning and have a good weekend to you all.

I make - Oatmeal raisin cookies

Starting from last year, I've been increasingly more into cookies (and candies) than cakes. Preparation wise, it's less demanding. No beating the eggs until the volume has tripled that kind of thing. Most cookies are also quite amenable for variations. I wouldn't say more than cakes but let's say I am catching up my lost cookie time lately. I've been having fun.

According to this, the first ever recorded oatmeal raisin cookies recipe was dated back in 1896. It was labelled as "health food". Well, who am I to object? It's got the cholesterol lowering oat, good-for-you nuts and naturally sweet raisins. Any time, any day, please.

As you can see, my cookies are actually disguised as blondies, but you know what Shakespeare says about a rose.

Oatmeal raisin cookies, based on this

1/2 cup (un)salted butter, melted
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional if unsalted butter is used)
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups rolled oats, quick cooking or old-fashioned
1/2 cup dried fruits (sultanas and sour cherries are my favorite)

1/2 cup broken nuts (walnuts or pecans are great)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven at 180C.

In a large bowl beat together butter, sugar, vanilla, spices, salt (if using) and egg until sugar melts completely into the mixture. Stir in oats, dried fruits and nuts. Use a rubber spatula to mix thoroughly. Finally, sift in flour and baking powder. Stir to combine.

If baking the traditional way, shape the dough into individual small balls, roughly at golf ball size. Put them on a baking trays (you may need two trays) and bake for 12-15 minutes.

If baking as blondies, pour the whole oat mixture into a round or square cake tin (20cm should do). Smooth the top with a rubber spatula or back of a spoon. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Either way, let the cookies cool in the pan for 30 minutes before serving or cutting.

About vegan

No, I am not becoming one, nor do I feel any emotion towards it. I simply love steaks too much.

However, I re-discovered vegan way of cooking recently and I am hugely impressed. Bygone are the days when vegan cooking meant cooking with commercial veganized products. You know what I meant, store-bought egg replacer, vegan spread, vegan cream, vegan cheese, plant based textured proteins, all these things which did not exist in nature. For me, using those commercial "veganized" products for cooking does not mean eating vegan and certainly does not sound healthy when you read the ingredient list. It's a horrible way of ingesting a whole lot of highly processed food and convincing yourself that it's healthy and morally acceptable.

With vegan cooking (or with food in general), I highly agree with what Sarah (from My New Roots) said: if you can't make it at home, don't eat it.

I started to get in touch with vegan cooking from My New Roots. I wasn't looking for vegan or vegetarian cooking specifically. I was simply drawn by Sarah's ability to make every plant based dish look so scrumptious. I feel like I am browsing someone's garden, post after post. Each dish was carefully arranged and expertly created. From Sarah, I learned that cashew cream is an excellent substitute for conventional dairy cream, both in savory dishes and desserts. Don't tell me that you are not drooling over her recent chocolate torte?

Angela from Oh She Glows is another genius in vegan cooking. You have to know the quality of each ingredient very well in order to create vegan food with least/none processed ingredients, such as almond tuna salad, lentil walnut loaf, 7-vegetable cheese soup, chocolate truffle, chocolate fudge, Elvis bars. Wow.

Another trick I learned from those very creative vegan blogs is to thicken almost anything with ground flax seeds (linseeds) or chia seeds. Both seeds upon adding water produce mucilage which becomes gel consistency. It has been used as egg replacer for vegan baking, Chocolate chia pudding, Berry chia pudding, salad dressing. I am in awe.

Finally, do you know what this scallop dish is made of? Don't cheat.

I rest my case.

I make - parsley yogurt sauce

This sauce came up because I wanted to use up the other half bunch of parsley sitting in the fridge. I planned smoked mackerel for dinner so I made the sauce with smoked fish in mind.

By the way, plain yogurt is such a great creamy base for almost any kind of dipping sauce. I just can't live without yogurt!

Parsley yogurt sauce

- enough parsley, roughly 1/2 cup after being chopped
- juice from 1 lemon (you can add the zest too)
- 1 teaspoon of prepared horseradish sauce (or mustard)
- 1/2 - 1 cup of plain yogurt (it depends on how herby you like the sauce to be)
- 1 tablespoon of cream/creme fraiche/tahini/cashew cream/olive oil (this is to thicken the sauce)
- 1 teaspoon of dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
- salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything and taste. Adjust the seasoning to your liking. It's great with smoked fish and should be good on grilled meat too. I even enjoyed the sauce on its own just with rye crackers.

I make - All-in-one pasta

As much as I like to cook from scratch, there is something to say about the all-in-one method of cooking pasta. Less pots to clean, less water required and possibly less time (if you are an efficient cook). To be fair, this so called "all-in-one" method is no different from the method for paella or fideua which I both love and cook numerous times. But, it's always good to think outside of the paella box.

I made my first all-in-one pasta last night. Judging from my most fierce food critic's feedback, I think it's a good one. My recipe is inspired by these two recipes but I already deconstructed it further in my head (professional habit dies hard!) for future exciting experimentation.

Last thing, you may have noticed that my posts are pictureless these days. I can't find my battery charger since house moving and I don't want to buy yet another one. Sorry folks. May I kindly ask you to exercise your best imagination skill before my charger decides to turn up?

All-in-one pasta
Generous portions for two; starter size for four

Pasta base
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 onion, minced
- a handful of cherry tomatoes (or increase the amount of tomato sauce)
- 200-250 g linguine, broken in thirds
- 2 to 3 cups of hot water (or stock)
- 2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce (or canned tomato)
- fresh or dried basil
- half cup of rindless brie cubes (or other cheese which melts well)

Protein option
For seafood, shrimp, mussels, white fish or a mixture.
For meat, grilled sausage chunks, pancetta/bacon strips, chicken thigh
For plant eaters, how about some roasted veggies?

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan, saute onion until translucent. Add in garlic for a few minutes. Then throw in cherry tomatoes (if using). Cook the mixture until cherry tomatoes are about to burst. Add in broken linguine and hot water. Make sure that all pasta submerge under the water and the water level is no more than 1cm above pasta.

Bring the pot to a lively boil and turn the heat to medium. You may want to stir the mixture a few times to separate pasta strands in the beginning (if you are a cooking geek like me, you will love this experiment). Cook for 5 minutes, uncovered.

Preheat oven to 160C.

Add in your favorite tomato sauce along with basil. I used mushroom and pepper sauce last night. Cook for another 5 minutes. If the mixture seems dry, add more water (1/2 cup each time). Taste and season with salt and pepper. You probably want to be light with the salt considering the cheese afterwards. Stir in brie cubes. This is your pasta base. If you want this to be a vegetarian dish, you can stop here after adding any other vegetables your heart desire. If you are an omnivore like me, proceed to the next step.

Now it's time for your preferred protein option. I stirred in a pack of mussels cooked in garlic and white wine sauce last night and topped the pasta with two slices of white fish dusted with salt and pepper. Bake it in the oven for 20 minutes or until fish is cooked.

Sprinkle Parmesan before eating, optional, but why wouldn't you?

I make - chimichurri

It has taken me a long time to like parsley. I had always found parsley smelling grassy and couldn't understand why so many chefs finish their plates "with chopped parsley ". I would have easily gone for coriander any time.

It all changed when i was introduced chimichurri.

Once in an Argentine steak house, I ordered a sauce to go with my steak. Bearnaise is usually my preferred choice but to go along with the south American theme, i heard myself say chimichurri. When it came sitting unglamorously in a dipping dish, i thought i'd wasted my money. "At least let's have a taste", I said to myself. After taking a bite of chimichurri dipped sirloin, my eyes opened up. I didn't realize parsley can taste so refreshing. Wonderful with grilled meat. I also found out later that chimichurri goes well with seafood. I even stir into my paella just before serving. It is a versatile sauce.

Since then, I've become friends with parsley.

My chimichurri uses equal amounts of oil and vinegar. Sometimes i substitute lemon/lime juice for vinegar. I also add a pinch of sugar to round the sauce up. There are many recipes on the web and mine is based on this.

Chimichurri sauce

Two big handful of parsley, leaves and stalks enough for a half cup after chopping）
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
Pinch of dried chili pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of vinegar
Pinch of sugar
Salt to taste

Chop parsley and garlic finely. Combine everything in a bowl or a glass jar. Stir well. Taste and season with salt if needed.

Alternatively you could make it with a food processor.

Time changing

Yes, clock has moved one hour forward after midnight and we are now officially in Summer Time. We are also very lucky today to be graced with long and gentle sunlight. I spent good two hours this afternoon getting our front garden ready. Taking out the weeds, re-balancing the soil (the very occasional gardener planted three roses last weekend and created, should we say, a very sculptural surface) and putting down begonias and Guernsey lily (Nerine bowdenii). I smelled the lovely scent from my blue hyacinth as the gentle breeze quietly flowing through. What a nice surprise. Then I remember that it was a cold November day last year when I put down some anemones, crocuses, daffodils, glory of the snow, hyacinths and tulips in the front garden. Not sure how many of them would come out judging the weather so I could only hope for the best when I planted them.

Nature always has a way to surprise me. I think Spring has sprung in our front garden with clusters of white, blue and purplish pink flowers of various sizes (I wanted a cool toned garden). Like the day of clock change, the first bloom feels ever so hopeful, a high point of each year.

I also feel immensely proud of the peaceful but resolute protest march in Taiwan today. Yes, time is changing. People in Taiwan realise that politics can no longer be treated as school boys' game. It has a real consequence and it's about time that people's views are being heard. I am just so proud of the self discipline and determination shown by the general public in Taipei. For me, it truly signifies hope and a high point of this year.

沒有煙抽的日子 - 張雨生

January, February and March

What happened to our world?

Russia now moving into Crimea, a jumbo jet vanishing without a trace and a President wanting to sell out his country so badly (yes, I am talking about you, Mr. Ma).

We are not even finished the third month of 2014 yet. I am sad for Ukrainian people. I agonize for the victim families of MH370. Most of all, I weep for Taiwan. In the name of money and power, what's not for sale, Mr. Ma? And how dare you turning our democracy into a one-man puppet show. Shame on you. And if you can't see that economy and political independence is just both sides of a coin, you are wasting your Harvard degree. Face and listen to the people. And talk to them. That's what you were elected for, remember? Stop hiding.

Three Pretty Good Things: 24 January

1. Going home

I am flying back for Chinese New Year, Year of Horse. Now I am getting excited.

2. Friendship

Two of my friends in another continent asked me one after another in 2 minutes about meeting up later next week. Knowing that someone was thinking of you so far away makes me feel special. Yes, I will have two great night outs with my lovely girls.

3. Oh Sherlock

BBC Sherlock Holmes Season 3 is back. Did I tell you I am a fan of Mycroft? Maybe I just like the suits.

2014

Well, 2014 will lose its first month in 10 days. Where does the time go?

My 2014 started well. Being busy is a good sign. My new project is making a small but steady progress. Very satisfying to see. Not so many people around me have high expectation about it because it is a well known tough cookie. Well, that's fine by me. If it goes pear shape, that's expected. If it goes the other way, wow, we are in for a nice surprise. Everybody wins, I like that.

First, day is getting longer. What a nice feeling to see calming winter sun at least once a week. We are having a mild winter this year with cold snaps here and there but nothing major.

Gym routine is also back on track. Good.

Didn't go crazy on after-Christmas shopping. Well done! Hubby would be pleased (even though I only spent my own money).

I have another new year waiting for me, the Year of Horse! Looks like I already have a few things to be thankful for my January 2014!

Happy 2014.