2018 weekly - Week 50

12/12/2018

The usual pre-holiday rush for all (un)imaginable things.

We have a Christmas special today at the French class. We are all supposed to dress up in one way or another but I just couldn't bring myself to buy a Christmas jumper.

So I improvised to wear a red blouse and wrapped myself with some tinsels. Good enough to bring the holiday atmosphere.

13/12/2018

This year BBC has lots of drama box sets. I watched three excellent ones, Killing Eve, The Informer and The Little Drummer Girl. They are all excellent with gripping and realistic stories. I have to say, the lead female actors in Killing Eve and The Little Drummer Girl are breathtakingly brilliant. And I am becoming a firm fan of John Le Carre's novels.

2018 weekly - Week 49

06/12/2018

I took my DELF exam today. It went rather well, enough to pass, even though I realised I made a grammatical mistake right after I stepped out the test centre.

It's a funny experience to take an official exam again after so many years. It's also reassuring to know that the little grey cells are still working.

So let's aim for A2 next year!

07/12/2018

Holidays start unofficially today!

2018 weekly - Week 48

29/11/2018

I am feeling back more of my normal self now. I tried just one fitness class today instead of my normal two. At the end of the class, I can see my body is telling me that she is ok.

Good to be back to my healthy self.


30/11/2018

I couldn't wait any longer so I warm my stollen slightly and brush (again) with butter and dust with icing sugar.

Oh, my, lord.

Now I know why people can't stop just having one slice! It's criminally moreish!


01/12/2018

Last prepa class today. Then it'll be the exam!

I make - mince pies 2018

I have baked two rounds of mince pies this year. Homemade mincemeat with fresh cranberries is just so much better and it's much easier than you think. If you have not made mincemeat with fresh fruit, it's worth every bite and calorie.

Hubby still says that the best mince pies are the ones I made. Smile.

Mince Pies 2018

Pastry:

- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup ground almond (or oat flakes)*
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 100 g melted butter
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (up to 1/2 tsp if skipping orange zest)
- zest from 1 orange

Mincemeat:

- 60 ml port
- 75 g soft dark brown sugar
- 300-400 g fresh/frozen cranberries
- 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
- 1/4 teaspoon quatre épices (for pain d'épices)
- 200 g dried fruits (currants, raisins, cranberries or apricots)
- finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange (or clementine)
- 25 ml Ameretto (such as Disaronno)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons honey

Frangipane filling:

- 50 g butter, melted
- 50 g sugar
- 50 g ground almond
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- The butter, sugar and ground almond can increase to 100 g each if more frangipane is required. There is no need to increase the egg or the almond extract.

First prepare the mincemeat by cooking everything together until fresh cranberries burst. Cool the mincemeat before making the pies. This recipe of mincemeat is enough for 24 mince pies.

To prepare the dough, mix wet ingredients into a bowl of dry ones. Stir to combine with a rubber spatula and gather into dough. The dough is ready to roll out to line a 12-hole muffin tin.

Fill each lined muffin hole with 2 teaspoons of mincemeat and one teaspoon of frangipane.

Bake the mince pies in a muffin tin at 200C for 15 minutes and lower to 175C for another 10 minutes.

*After tasting this batch, I think I will revert back to ground oat next time as I prefer the oat texture.

*Next time, try to add one or half of a beaten egg to the dough.

2018 weekly - Week 47

Feeling rather poorly this week. Lack of energy due to a number of reasons. And the French exam is making me slightly nervous. Well, all will be well.

I made my first stollen. A lot easier than I thought. It's almost like a cake process but with yeast as the leavening agent. I am letting the stollen "mature" for a week before tasting. The aroma is incredible!

2018 weekly - Week 46

11/11/2018

Armistice day. Hats off to all those who strive to make the world a better place. You are not forgotten.


12/11/2018

What a chaotic weekend. Starting with a letter from council via our trouble maker tenants to electric shower wouldn't turn off and finished off with wrong content from a takeaway. No matter. We are tough cookies too and when we work together, we solve problems.

13/11/2018

This is going to be a very busy week. I hope to ease back a little after coming back from the work trip this Friday.

16/11/2018

Got mild food poisoning during the work trip. It's the second time I got sick because of Thai food. Recovering from home today.

17/11/2018

Saw the dentist in the morning and review the procedure. Scary but I have to go ahead.

Went to my DELF prepa class in the afternoon as I am hoping that three prepa classes are enough to pass. The teachers are really good and I have a feeling that I'm going to improve (and certainly hoping to pass) after three weeks.

2018 weekly - Week 45

04/11/2018

I finished last batch of quinces this weekend. 5kg of them, I am glad to see the end of it. They keep well in our cold room, 1 month on still perfuming (and hard). I got 14-15 jars out of those quinces this time. Highly fragrant and nicely set. The key is really to keep the ratio right between raw quinces and the water during the juice extraction stage. Even if you may need to add more water, just remember all the extra water needs to boil off later.

05/11/2018

My first dentist visit. Dreaded.

07/11/2018

A pretty good French class for me, probably not much listening this time. Listening to an audio clip remains the toughest for me.

2018 weekly - Week 44

28/10/2018

1. Ox cheek is back to my local supermarket!

2. Two whole pieces of ox cheeks get fork tender after 45 minutes in the pressure cooker. Miracle.

29/10/2018

I think I may have found my favorite cookie recipe. Recipe found here!

I make - Our favorite chocolate chip and cherry cookies

Having baking cookies for a few weeks. The recipe below is our current favorite and is adapted from the famous Flour Bakery Chunky Lola Cookies.

Our favorite chocolate chip and cherry cookies

- 150 g butter
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt flakes
- 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder (optional)
- 1 1/4 cup plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 cup cooking oats, flash ground
- 1/2 cup desiccated shredded coconut , flash ground
- 1/2 cup ground almond
- 1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
- 150 g dark chocolate, in small chunks
- 1/2 cup dried sour cherries (or replace with 50 g dark chocolate)

Make brown butter (beurre noisette) with 100 g of the required butter. Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the remaining 50 g of the butter. Set aside and let cool to at least blood warm.

If you have a stick blender, blend the oats for 10 seconds and tip it out to a small bowl. Repeat the same process with the shredded coconut. I found the unblended oat + coconut (as specified in the original recipe) yielded a rather coarse texture which we did't like.

In a mixing bowl beat together sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt until well combined. Drizzle in the cooled brown butter with the mixing action on.

Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and coffee powder if using. Then add in oat, coconut, ground almond and toasted nuts. Use a rubber spatula to combine everything together. When the dough is about to come together (after 5 or 6 scrape and fold), stir in chopped chocolate and sour cherries. Scrape and fold for a few more times. Cover the bowl with a cling film and rest in the fridge for at least one hour.

Remove the dough from the fridge. Portion the dough into balls of golf ball size. I get 21 golf balls out of this recipe. Flatten each cookie dough slightly on a baking sheet and bake them at 180C for 15 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before removing them to the cooling rack.

With this recipe, I bake six each time and wrap individual cookie dough with cling film, put them in a ziplock bag to freeze. Every time I feel like some cookies, I take out a few and bake. Everything is better with a piece of freshly baked cookie, don't you think?

2018 weekly - Week 43

26/10/2018

This week finished well with a news that our paper was accepted with minor revisions and pretty nice comments from the referees.

Life is built on those small but reassuring delights.

Have a good weekend.

I make - Quince Jelly

Or gelée de coing, as known in our household. Quince is a fruit I came to know after I married a French man. The first time I discovered this knobbly looking thing was from a quince tree planted in my father-in-law's garden. Attracted by its wonderful green-apple like smell, I asked my father-in-law what that was. He replied: coing (followed by a string of other words). Of course my French vocabulary was not that good then, I nodded and smiled, mostly by its cute sound.

Then I discovered its incredible complexion transformation from raw to fully cooked. This deep rusty amber red color is only revealed after long hours of cooking, matching perfectly its harvest season.

It didn't take long for me to realize gelée de coing has a special place in hubby's heart. But making gelée de coing is a labor intensive process which can take two days. Raw quinces are hard and take some effort to work with. Making the gelée, well, if you've made jam, you probably know it can't be rushed. I don't make gelée de coing every year because of that.

Remember the pressure cooker I acquired this summer? Well, it might be a game changer for me, at least for gelée de coing. It used to take me hours to get this autumnal rusty red color with conventional stove top cooking. I found out that pressure cooking for 10-15 minutes is sufficient to reveal its glorious color. How good is that!

I decided to write down the recipe I used this time as this produces a particularly good batch of gelée. I can't bear throwing food away so this recipe intends to enjoy quinces two ways, eating the fruit as compote and gelée. You can discard the solids (flesh, pips and peels) after the first stage of cooking if you just want gelée.

Gelée de coing et Compote de coings

- 1.8-2.0 kg of quinces (6-8 quinces, size dependent)
- 1.0-1.5 liter of water
- Equal amount (in weight) of sugar for the quince juice extracted; extra sugar for the compote
- Juice from 1-2 lemons, to taste
- 7 bonne maman jam jars, sterilized and ready to use

Clean the quinces by scrubbing the skin with a sponge to remove its fuzz. Wash and towel dry the scrubbed quinces. Top and tail each quince and cut into quarters or sixths. Remove the cores and peel the quince wedges. Save the pips and peels in a separate mesh bag.

Cut and peeled quince wedges

Pips and peels before putting into mesh bags

Put all the quince wedges and the pip bag in a pressure cooker, pour in 1.0-1.5 liter of water. The goal is to extract 1 liter of quince juice for the jelly. Put the lid back and cook for 10-15 minutes at full pressure, followed by a natural release method. Let the cooker content cool down completely before next step. I usually leave it overnight.

When the pressure has cooled down, remove the lid (the content should be in gloriously amber color) and scoop out the quince wedges, discard the pip bag and strain the juice. If you want to make the compote, scatter 1 cup of sugar (or to taste) onto the quince wedges. Stir gently and let it macerate overnight. Keep the juice if you just want the jelly.

Quince juice

For each liter of quince juice, add one kilo of sugar and juice from 1 lemon. Bring the pot back to gentle boil until it has reached a setting point (15-30 minutes). I taste again my jelly towards the end to see whether I need extra lemon juice. When the jelly is approaching the setting point, the foam will start to form on the top. When it passes the jelling test, pour into sterilized jars.

This recipe produces jelly enough for 7 bonne maman jars, each of 300ml.

2018 weekly - Week 42

14/10/2018

Made this very popular Chunky Lola Cookies from the Flour Bakery. The recipe is easy to work with and produces cookies with excellent flavor. With oats, coconut, nuts and chocolate chips, the texture is more complex than other cookies. It's worth a try. It's funny to see hubby sneak downstairs to have a cookie.  Well, I pretend not to notice the dwindling cookie number.

I shaped my cookie dough in golf ball size and baked at 180C for 15 minutes. The result is golden/crisp on the edges and soft in the domed center. Next time I will try substitute ground almond for half of the desiccated coconut, bake with the dough slightly flattened in the center.

19/10/2018

Came home after 9pm four days this week. Feeling quite exhausted by now. Frozen cookie dough is a great thing. Each time I bake 4-5 cookies, straight from the freezer. They bake well but don't spread as much. If I have time, I let the cookie soften at the room temperature and flatten the cookie dough. That creates a nice round cookie for me every time.

ps. after resting the cookie a few days, the Lola cookie texture is less coarse, probably the coconut (and the oat) has time to absorb some moisture. It tastes even better this way.

2018 weekly - Week 41

12/10/2018

How does vitamin C help iron absorption?

Just watched BBC's health program which discusses iron absorption this time. Most bioavailable iron comes from red meat. Although some plants (cabbage or broccoli) are iron rich, they are not as bioavailable as red meat regarding iron. Cooking is one reason which most vegetables lose iron in the first place. However, spinach is one exception. When cooked, the iron bioavailability increases by 55%! This is because iron is bound to oxalate in raw spinach. Cooking/boiling releases the iron from the oxalate. How wonderful for a spinach fan to know this tip!

Another thing I learned is that iron comes in the form of enriched food such as flour, cereal and so on is not very bioavailable. Well, how naive I was thinking that just because it's in the food it will get absorbed fine?!

One recommendation to help iron absorption is to have vitamin C at the same time. For instance, drinking orange juice while having breakfast cereal (maybe hubby is on to something!). The reason why vitamin C helps iron absorption is two folds. First, vitamin C prevent iron forming unabsorable complex. Secondly, perhaps more crucially, it reduces ferric ion to ferrous which is the bioavailable form of iron.

Oh, coffee, unfortunately, prevents iron absorption. The reason being the polyphenols in coffee trap iron which becomes unavailable. Something to think about for a coffee drinker like me.

I love chemistry.

2018 weekly - Week 40

30/09/3018

Week 40, really? Already? Where has time gone?

Hubby came back from a conference with an assortment of products representing four corners of United Kingdom. So today we had potato farls (Irish) and Welsh cakes for our Sunday brunch. I had my afternoon tea with some chocolate shortbread (Scottish). Thank you friends, the gift tastes great and the thought makes us feel loved.

A bottle of gin is waiting in our drink cupboard.

01/10/2018

The song has to put in the context in the drama series to appreciate but Killing Eve has a great soundtrack overall. Can't stop listening.

Il Voyage is one of the songs appearing when the killer is out and free in an obscure Paris street corner. This song turned out to be an old one, first released by Francoise Hardy in 1969 and re-released in 1989. Which version do you like?

02/10/2018

I now dread every time I go to my French class. Now at a level higher, I went from one of the best students to one of the worst. I know it means I have to work, and work harder. That's the whole purpose of studying at a level higher. But oh my world it's not a nice feeling to know you are one of the worst and you know everyone's secret wish is not to work with you during a conversation act?

Now I got it all out. Yes, I know I had it easy for my first year with Beginner's French. And I was very lucky to have a very patient teacher. That really convinces me to go further. I know I could improve more if I just study a little bit harder...

Back to the French.

I make - saag paneer II

Saag paneer is one of my favorite Indian dishes, particularly good when eaten with freshly made chapatis. I wrote a post about one version before (7 years ago, really?!). But recently I've found another to make the same dish, easier and still tasty. There is no onion and various spices were replaced with panch phoron. A tasty dish made quicker.

Saag paneer II (current favorite version)

- 500-750 g spinach, blanched and drained (or just over 1 cup of frozen spinach, thawed and drained)
- 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil/ghee
- 2 teaspoons of panch phoron (Indian mixed-seeds for cooking, great for most vegetable dishes)
- 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
- 1 garlic clove, grated (or use garlic powder like I do sometimes)
- 225-250 g of paneer block, cut into 1-cm dices
- 1 teaspoon of mixed powder (see below)/garam masala
- 50-75 ml single cream
- water to loosen the mixture
- 1 tablespoon of flour mixed in 1 tablespoon of cold water
- salt to taste

Indian Mixed Powder (from Curry Guy)

- 3 tablespoons coriander powder
- 3 tablespoons cumin powder
- 3 tablespoons sweet paprika powder
- 3 tablespoons Turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoons Garam powder
- 4 tablespoons mild curry powder such as Madras

In a skillet heat 2 tablespoons of oil/ghee and panch phoron on medium heat. When seeds start to pop, put in paneer cubes. Lightly salt and spice the mixture (with mixed spice or garam masala). Brown the paneer cubes but watch out not to burn the panch phoron. Remove the paneer cubes to a plate.

In the same pan, stir in the drained spinach, ginger and garlic. Cook the spinach thoroughly to reduce the moisture. Stir in mixed powder, cream and the browned paneer cubes set aside earlier. Bring the pot to gentle boil for a few minutes. You may need some water to create the consistency you like. Stir in the flour-water mixture, wait for the pan to come back to bubble to thicken up. Taste and season with salt. 

I make - Lamb Pasanda

After several rounds of would-rather-forget beef brisket dishes (including the most recent beef curry), I've decided that the best meat this country has to offer is lamb. I didn't like lamb until I arrived in the UK and it took me a few years before I realized how good lamb is. The meat is always tender, succulent and rich but not bold. I just love it. Lamb shoulder is my favorite cut. It roasts so well seasoned minimally, not fussy about temperature or time (although low and slow is hard to beat) and always with great outcome. Recently I also tried lamb rump, the part of the animal just before the hind legs. I grilled mine on the stove top after marinating in soy sauce and shaoxin wine. What can I say, tender, juicy and very flavorful. We both wished we had more to share that night.

Then it was lamb pasanda. So far, I would consider Butter Chicken is my signature curry dish but tonight's lamb curry deserves to go on my repertoire. It's a gentle curry enriched with yogurt and cream, mildly spiced and with the great British lamb. Here is my version based on Curry Guy's recipe.


My Lamb Pasanda

Lamb and the marinade
- 900g (2lbs.) lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 tablespoons of yogurt
- 1 teaspoon of mixed powder (or use chicken masala or tandoori masala powder)
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 tsp salt

Pasanda gravy
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon rapeseed oil/ghee
- 4 green cardamom pods, bruised
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek powder (or 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds)
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon tandoori masala
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 tomatoes, chopped (or use 1 cup of canned tomatoes or 3 tablespoons of tomato paste)
- 1 large red bell pepper, in 1cm dices
- Water (enough to cover)
- 1 tablespoon of almond butter from a jar (or use 2 tablespoons of puree from cashews which have been soaked in hot water and drained)
- 100ml Greek yogurt (5% fat)
- 50ml single cream
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste
- Coriander leaves to decorate

Marinade lamb shoulder chunks at least 2 hours with all ingredients listed under Lamb and the Marinade.

To prepare the gravy, saute the chopped onions in oil or ghee until golden brown. Add in ginger, garlic, cardamon pods, fenugreek powder/seeds, cinnamon stick and two masala powders. Cook the spices and the aromatics in the oil for 30 seconds to release the aroma. Dribble some water to prevent from sticking or burning.

When the pan is almost dry (no visible water pools), cook the marinated lamb chunks in the same pot. You may need to grill the lamb in two batches, depending on the size of your pan. You want light brown crust to form under each lamb chunk.

After all lamb chunks are lighted browned, add in chopped tomatoes and bell peppers. Stir well and add water just enough to cover the top (it's ok to see a few chunks). Bring the pot to a rolling boil, cover and bring the heat to low. Cook for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, mix Greek yogurt and cream in a bowl and set aside at the room temperature. This minimizes the chance of yogurt splitting in the hot curry.

After 45 minutes, remove the lid and stir the curry lightly to prevent anything stuck on the pan. Stir in almond butter and the yogurt/cream mixture. Season with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Cook for another 15-20 minutes uncovered at low heat until the lamb is tender. Taste, season with salt and scatter coriander leaves on top.

2018 weekly - Week 39

27/09/2018

Delivered an improved talk today. I gave myself 85%, improved from 79% back in May.

28/09/2018

Talked to a headhunter for a position in China. I did it mostly out of curiosity. Very tempting, I must say.

2018 weekly - Week 38

16/09/2018

Made this simple creme as a quick dessert. Very yummy.

- 250 g Mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup lemon curd
- 170 g 0% Greek Yogurt (a small pot)
- zest and juice from 1 lemon

Stir everything together into a smooth mixture. This could serve six people. Chill for 2 hours (at least) before serving.

21/09/2018

Killing Eve is addictive! Excellent acting all around.

2018 weekly - Week 37

12/09/2018

First French class after the summer break. Disaster. Couldn't catch any word from a 2 and half minute video about le break. What on earth would I know about the break dance but that's not the point. My listening is really poor, even though my reading, writing and speaking is not bad.

I need a therapy session.


13/09/2018

I felt that I've earned my next trip to collaboration meetings. FYA.

2018 weekly - Week 36

08/09/2018

Pleased with my work this work. Energised by the feeling after scientific exchange. This is what gives me buzz. I can't deny it, despite how unpleasant the surroundings are.

2018 weekly - Week 35

26/08/2018

We are back to the familiar British weather. Sun, rain, clouds and blue sky all in one hour. Now it looks like it's going to catch up with the rain we didn't have for two months. Well, can't really complain. High 16C today, eerily familiarly comforting.

Binge-watched BBC's 1995 Pride and Prejudice last night. Now I understand why people just can't stop talking about it. It's such a classic with excellent acting. Mrs Bennett is unbearable with a few silly daughters to match. I resisted with all my power not to fast forward when she rants. Really wondered why Mr Bennett decided to marry her but hey ho. Yes, the obvious stars are Miss Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy. Yes the production is more than 20 years old but it feels refreshingly modern. I love it.

27/08/2018

Made a seriously evil thing today called Banana Caramel Pudding which is actually custard. You are supposed to start with white sugar and make caramel, add banana puree and finish fresh cream in the end (did you smell this already?) but I already have salted caramel sitting in the fridge. So I heated salted caramel first and added banana puree. The smell is intoxicating. Then the pudding was made by adding eggs, milk and cornstarch. I have to exercise greatest restraint not to woof down in one go.

Glad to have another way to solve my two-banana conundrum*, other than smoothie or banana bread.

*I always seem to have two overripe bananas sitting staring at me whenever I buy bananas.

2018 weekly - Week 34

19/08/2018

Having lots of fun with pressure cooker today. The first trial was a bit disaster as I managed to burn the pot. It turned out that I forgot to turn the black valve to the "cooking position" which locks in the steam! I was wondering why the cooker didn't build up the pressure the whole time. Well, I refreshed my manual and learned to clean the burned pot with baking soda and hot water. And the food did cook through and completely edible. Not too bad overall.

Then I pressure braised chicken drum sticks with soy sauce. 5 minutes under full pressure and meat fell off the bone. Magic.

Finally I pressure braised beef brisket. 40 minutes under full pressure and the beef is fork tender.

Looks like this is going to be my favorite piece of equipment for a while.

20/08/2018

I've been doing Body Pump for a few months. It's weight lifting to strengthen key areas of muscles. I just love it. It's less cardio but more resistance training which complements my whole routine well. But I also like the tone and pace of the class. It's much less quick quick as fast as you can but really take your time to make sure you work on specific muscle areas properly.

However, recently I noticed my knees got particularly sore or even painful after my much loved Pump class. Not sure whether it's because of the new routine (they change the class routine quarterly), or I am still rather new to the class (just a few months), or just wrong posture. After talking to my instructor, she suggested me to really pay attention to my squats, making sure that my knees are really aligned with the third/fourth toe (i.e. a bit outward). Frequently, doing squats with weights on the shoulder can put stress on the knees if they cave in or are only aligned with the first/second toe (with feet angled outward 5-20 degrees). And that was exactly how I did my squats, even with her saying every time to push the knees out. I just didn't realize how far out my knees should go. The caved-in knees and the pushed out ones can differ just by 5 degrees! I noticed that I have to tighten up my thigh muscles further to position the knees correctly. I guess that's the whole point of strengthening the muscles.

I am happy to report that since I really paid attention to my knee position, I no longer have painful knees after the class. So glad that I can continue my Pump class again.

22/08/2018

I probably had 2 kilos of sweet potato this week. No particular reason, because 1) I like them and 2) the other half is away for work. I have tried to cook them two ways, one by pressure cooker and one by microwave. The pressure cooker method via steaming is quick (5 minutes at high pressure) and the result is good, albeit a bit watery. The sweet potatoes I get in the UK tend to be more watery than the regular potatoes here or sweet potatoes from Asia. So steaming by pressure cooker, although fast, is not going to improve much on the watery texture. Next I tried microwave. The timing varies with sweet potato size and microwave power but generally 3-5 minutes one side, turn the sweet potatoes over, and another 3-5 minutes. Microwave seems to be the way to go for cooking convenience and texture, as it produces drier texture. Although longer than the pressure cooker, still much faster than the conventional methods with stove-top or oven. I think I will stick with microwave for sweet potatoes in the future.

2018 weekly - Week 33

12/08/2018

The heatwave may truly be gone, after two months of relentless high mercury level. We had rain twice this weekend. Good for everyone, not just plants.

I made fragrant chili oil today. I enjoy the sensation from chili but not the numbness it brings to my tongue. Most chili sauce/oil from Chinese grocery stores are too spicy for me to enjoy the chili fragrance. So I made my own today with Gochugaru (korean chili flakes), just mildly spicy but mightily aromatic.

Not-Spicy Chili Oil

- 1 cup of korean coarse chili flakes (gochugaru, go for the mildest version if you have to choose)
- 1/2 tablespoon of ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese 5-spice
- 1.5 teaspoons of table salt
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of stock powder (optional)
- 1.5 tablespoons of coarsely ground Szechuan peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon of minced ginger
- 2 green onions, minced
- 1.5 cup of neutral tasting oil (I used canola)

To stir in towards in the end
- 3 tablespoons of garlic granules
- 2 tablespoons of fried shallots or dried onion flakes
- 2 tablespoons of white sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil

Mix chili flakes, white pepper, 5-spice, salt, sugar and stock powder if using in a bowl and set aside.

In a 14/16-cm round pot, heat the oil with Szechuan peppercorns and minced ginger on medium-low heat. Heat the oil gently so that it brings out the spice aroma without darkening. When the bubbling noise turns low (meaning the ginger moisture almost gone), add in green onions. Stir and make sure you don't burn the green onions. When the splattering noise has quietened again, stir in the chili mixture. Stir a few times to combine and remove from the heat. Mix in garlic granules, fried shallots or dried onion flakes and sesame seeds. Let the mixture cool to body temperature and stir in the sesame oil.

Bottle the chili sauce in sterilized jars. I got two Bonne Maman jars plus a few table spoons extra.

2018 weekly - Week 32

05/08/2016

This very famous rice dish from Southeast Asia consists of four components, chicken, broth, rice and dipping condiments. You start with poaching chicken and this step takes care of the rest. Pretty smart (and economical), huh?

Traditionally made with a whole chicken but I used chicken thighs and legs here. Partly because I feel it's easier to gauge the time needed, partly because it's easier to fit in a cooking vessel, partly because I found legs on sale...

Hainanese chicken rice

To poach the chicken

- 8 pieces of chicken thighs or legs
- 10cm-long ginger piece, peeled and cut into strips
- 4 stalks of green onions, cut in halves
- 2 tablespoons of rice wine (optional)
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of salt (to taste)
- water (I used 2L)
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil mixed with 1/4 tsp of salt

Place chicken, ginger, green onions, rice wine and salt in a large pot. Pour in freshly boiled water from a kettle to submerge the chicken completely. Bring the pot back to boil and lower the heat to simmer with lid on for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the chicken poach for another 30-45 minutes. Do not remove the lid.

Cool the chicken completely in the broth. Remove the chicken. The meat should be tender enough to remove from the bones if wish. Brush the skin with salted sesame oil.

To cook the rice

- 1 tablespoon of oil (or chicken fat)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- a thumb size of ginger, minced or grated
- 2 cups of basmati rice (jasmine is traditional), washed, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
- 2 cups of chicken poaching liquid
- 1/2 tsp of turmeric (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of sesame oil

Stir fry the garlic and ginger in oil. Stir in the drained rice. Gently turn the rice a few rounds so that each grain is coated with aromatic oil. Pour in 2 cups of poaching liquid and stir in salt. Bring the pot back to rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 11 minutes with lid on. After 11 minutes, turn the heat off completely. Rest the rice with lid on for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice. Let the cooked rice steam off for 10 more minutes and mix with the sesame oil before serving.

For dipping sauces:

For Green onion and ginger sauce
- 2 tablespoons of grated/finely minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 4 stalks of green onions (or more), finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/3 cup any neutral oil

This is the star sauce for me. If you have time/patience for one sauce, go for this. The ratio of ginger and green onions can be adjusted to your taste.

Put ginger, garlic, green onions and salt in a heat resistant bowl.

Heat oil in a saucepan until hot but not smoking, and carefully pour on top of ginger mixture. When the sizzling stops, stir a couple times and then let it cool.

At this point you can store it in a container in your fridge up to a couple weeks.

For Soy garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Green onion and ginger sauce
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons of vinegar

For Chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons reserved chicken poaching broth
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons sriracha chili sauce
- 4 cloves garlic
- a thumb size of ginger, grated

2018 weekly - Week 31

29/07/2018

Made Bacon Jam today. More like a chutney for me (use of vinegar) but hey pretty tasty nonetheless.

I adapted a recipe from Nadiya Hussain. Being a scientific geek I am, I also compared several recipes in a spreadsheet to see the differences. Two things stood out after the comparison. First is the amount of onions. Some uses 3 onions for 1 pound of bacon, while Nadiya uses just one onion per pound of bacon. I decided to use onions as a "bulking" agent, an ingredient to give the body of the final product. Onions do cook down quite a bit so you decide what you prefer. Second thing is the amount of sweetness. Some uses 1/2 cup of sugar/maple syrup for a pound of bacon and others use 1/4 cup. I think this is where personal preference rules again. Start with 1/4 cup and taste half way through of the cooking. If you are happy, then stop. Or, you can always add more.

Bacon Jam

- 180 g smoked pancetta (Sainsbury's Taste the Difference is great)
- 2 small onions, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 60 ml black coffee
- 45 ml maple syrup
- 30 ml vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Thai sweet chili sauce (or 1/2 tsp of chili flakes)
- black and white pepper to taste

Mix coffee, maple syrup and vinegar in a jug. Set aside.

Chop the pancetta/bacon into 1-cm strips. Fry the bacon strips on medium heat in a skillet until all fat has rendered and the surface is covered in "bacon foam". Scoop out the bacon strips on to paper towels.

Pour all the fat out except 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Cook the onions until golden brown. Add in minced garlic cloves and cook for a minute. Pour in coffee, maple syrup and vinegar. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits and let the mixture simmer gently until reduced by half.

Stir in Thai sweet chili sauce and drained bacon bits. Stir to combine and cook the mixture on low heat until a jammy consistency is reached. Bottle the mixture in a sterilized jar.

2018 weekly - Week 30

27/07/2018

This early morning's thunderstorm finally broke the dry spell since the first of June. Some patches of the lawn quickly turned green after a good soak. How resilient life is!

And it rained more this evening. Hopefully my garden has had a good drink.

28/07/2018

Got myself a stove-top pressure cooker. Never used or owned one before but decided to try in order to save energy. Instructions were rather easy to follow so pretty easy to use (Tower One-Touch 4L). Just need to get used to the hissing sound during the cooking period (quite unnerving I have to say but will probably get used to).

I made pulled pork with 40-min cooking time and served with Greek salad and chapatti. Quite pleased with the results.

More pressure cooking awaits.

2018 weekly - Week 29

15/07/2018

Allez les bleus! France won the world cup this year, after 20 years! What a game with Croatia who put up a really worthy fight. I think I am a fan of Croatia now!

20/07/2018

A very eventful week, having to getting up earlier than usual. I am exhausted! They say the heatwave is reaching another peak next week...

2018 weekly - Week 28

10/07/2018

A very nice match between France and Belgium in the semi-final during 2018 World Cup. France in the final!

11/07/2018

Happy anniversary, Mr.

Made a rather nice pasta dish with 4 courgettes (large dices), 6 fatty garlic cloves (chopped), 4 green onions (chopped), 1 tbsp dried mint (mixed 1/4 tsp italian herbs), sauteed until courgettes are tender but not browned. Finish with grated cheddar on top.

Looks like it's going to be France vs Croatia in the final. Allez les bleus!

12/07/2018

You wouldn't believe it, someone(s) cut our front roses!! Our front roses are our pride and joy, year after year never failing us to give us plenty of showy blooms. But this year someone cut them behind our back. This is distasteful! I hope at least that person(s) enjoyed the flowers as much as we do.

2018 weekly - Week 27

05/07/2018

The heatwave continues for another month? I am melting now.

06/07/2018

Friend N and her daughter A visited us today. We had a lovely evening in the back garden. Thank you N and A for the good time together!

2018 weekly - Week 26

24/06/2018

It's HOT, very unusual for British summer. Two years ago today we had hail stones and this year we've had a non-stop heatwave.

Had dinner on the terrace, with peanuts and beer to start and finished with seaweed rice rolls. Cool breeze finally arrived in the end. A good summer's finish.

2018 weekly - Week 25

23/06/2018

Meeting French classmates in a pub. Lovely evening with some lovely souls. Great night out!

2018 weekly - Week 24

Touring around Limoges, Nieuil and Cognac. Very enjoyable trip overall with great weather to match.

2018 weekly - Week 23

Parents are here. Spending lots of time with them rather than writing updates. The regular weekly will be back starting July.

2018 weekly - Week 22

27/05/2018

Spring is such a joyous occasion. Just looking plants sneaking out from the compost is enough to put me in a good mood. Our luck with British sun continues over this weekend. And tomorrow is another bank holiday. What can I ask for more?

28/05/2018

All flower bulbs 75% off! Somebody went a bit crazy. It's not me, if you are wondering as I only got a pack of red begonia. All three are in the pot and I hope!

29/05/2018

Tried two fitness classes today, LBT followed by Body Pump. Not sure whether I am pushing myself too hard as feeling a bit tired in the evening. I will try this combo a few months and see how it goes. I like strength training. any chance to wave goodbye to my flabby arms? We will see.

02/06/2018

Mom's dinner: Salmon in ginger and green onion sauce, blanched broccoli and carrots, stir-fry mushrooms

2018 weekly - Week 21

23/05/2018

Life continues to be a bit hectic but more relaxing now since my talk was done last week. This week we have been blessed with generous doses of sunshine every day, that puts a smile on my face every day (and I can forget about the rain and the cold from last week).

Went to a lunch time buffet with colleagues. I knew what it would be like before I went but still came back a bit disappointed. Well, the main point was to be sociable.

Going the the Body Pump class today in the evening thinking that it would help me work off the lunch time greed. I was certainly mentally motivated but my body was not there 100%. The class routine was changed today because the planned instructor couldn't make it. Doing cardio with a (still) full belly was not a good idea. But I still came back happy, sore and relaxed.

No dinner tonight except for a cup of warm tea.

26/05/2018

What should I do for this lovely long weekend? Let's see.

2018 weekly - Week 20

15/05/2018

Arrived in Basel EuroAirport. Really funny to see that right after baggaue claim, there are two signs, Switzerland to the right and France to the left! Are they just like the closet in Narnia? Love it.

A supposedly no more than 10-min walk to the hotel ended up 70 minutes. Well, the rain did not help.

After checking into the hotel and resting for 1 hr, I thought I would go for a short walk to the city centre. Well, the rain has not stopped. Decided to have a quiet night and got a gyros kebap across the street for dinner. Grilled meat, chips, salad all wrapped in a nice pita bread. Heaven.

16/05/2018

2nd day of workshop and poster night. Time to socialize with my fellow geeks.

17/05/2018

1st day of talks by the users and the conference dinner.

18/05/2018

My talk today!

No time to see Basel after all. This is probably my first ever conference which I couldn't visit the city. I met some interesting people here and had a good experience overall.

2018 weekly - Week 19

08/05/2018

I am getting forgetful!! Bringing my gym bag without the full gear! This has happened twice this year. Come on brain, you can do it.

To Omega-3 or not?

09/05/2018

Thanks for Brexit, now we have another Brit in the house. Welcome to the Queen's club.

10/05/2018

I made tomates farcies last weekend. Sausage meat makes better farce in my opinion, provided that you can find decent sausage meat (my sausage meat has an accent of basil). Adding sauteed vegetables improves the farce (I used onion/celery/mushroom) and it's a nice way to use up all the bits and bobs. I have yet to figure out the rice. How to prevent the top of the rice from getting dried out in the oven!?

2018 weekly - Week 18

28/04/2018

Time to pluck myself out of the (self-)pity and (self-)loathing mode.

I made the 100% Birthday-Worthy Blondies. I have to take a snap before finishing them!

The Violet Bakery's Butterscotch Blondies

- 125 g light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp Maldon salt flakes
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup of melted butter
- 1 cup of plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 65 g chopped chocolate (45%-60% cocoa)
- 40 g caramel shards (make caramel with 1/3 cup of sugar and let it harden on a piece of baking paper)

Preheat the oven at 160C. Line a 20cm square baking pan.

Combine brown sugar and salt flakes in a bowl. Smooth out all the sugar clumps with a wooden spoon. Add in vanilla and 1 egg. Stir to combine. Pour in melted butter. Mix well before adding in the flour and baking powder. The dough should be like cookie dough consistency. Stir in chopped chocolate.

Pour/spread the dough onto the prepared baking pan. Scatter the caramel shards on top. Bake at 160C for 30 minutes.

29/04/2018

I made a small progress on my presentation. Three hours on two slides. Will speed up in the following week.

I also tied up my desk as a way of distraction. 45 minutes to clear up a pile of 2-year-worth bank mails. Yes, I had a pile sitting on my desk for two years. It only took me 45 minutes to open/skim read/bin or keep. I should have done that long time ago!

A meal out tonight for us.

01/05/2018

Suddenly I realized that my hard-to-cut snacking is triggered by toxic people around me.

2018 weekly - Week 17

22/04/2018

Why did people decide to turn against one another? Out of anger, frustration, pride or just pure malice? This peculiar place where I work has gone from bad to worse, toxic. Peer pressure is such a powerful thing, not just on teenagers. You would have thought that so-called adults would be immune from that. There is only so much I can do for money.

27/04/2018

Who wants to buy us? What's there to buy? Haha.

2018 weekly - Week 16

18/04/2018

Summer has temporarily landed this week. 20+C for the rest of the week!

I think I have found a new routine with the new gym. Four fitness classes per week, all different. As I no longer go in the evening, my 5K running plan has to stop. But I am having great fun with the classes. They are diverse and effective (I never knew I could sweat so much!). Yes, I am one of the weakest in the class but I hope to see my improve by summer.

And the swimming pool looks so tempting but finding time to do it is an issue for me.

Well, just to say that I thoroughly enjoy the new gym and glad to have a routine again.

2018 weekly - Week 15

10/04/2018

Tried my first new restaurant this year, Samaan restaurant. It's my first ever taste of Iraqi cuisine and I was thoroughly impressed. Excellent grill meat with mild seasoning (my kind of thing) and full of flavor. And oh my world, the superb nann bread. The bread is featherly light, crisp on the outside and tender inside. Considering how thin it is, I am in awe of the skill to make it taste so fine.

Definitely come back for this one. Hope it won't change for some time.

11/04/2018

I haven't really written much for 2018 weekly this year partly  because I've been so busy with work and travel. After New Orleans, my attention is fully on Basel presentation. It's been a long time since I have a talk in a conference. A little daunting but also excited. I will try to make this presentation as fine as I could.

13/04/2018

Friday the 13th!

Had a very good workshop today. A really nice way to end the week and to replenish my energy for science.

2018 weekly - Week 14

05/04/2018

Present is fragile. It can be squashed instantly by a ghost story. The old self, the youthful past and this annoying little thing called love. What does age really mean? It surely changes our appearances but inside?

45 years.

2018 weekly - Week 13

31/03/2018

One of the most memorable exhibit ever, Modigliani at Tate Modern. Thoroughly enjoyed the paintings from the first the the last, a unique, talented but short-lived artist. One may argue he only did one main theme, but his creation is one of the kind, possibly one of the most recognizable style. It also occurred to me that many of his paintings are now in private collections. So this is really a rare opportunity to see the real things.

Tonight I think I will have a sweet dream.

ps. we had a very nice meal in Dishoom.

2018 weekly - Week 12

18/03/2018

Breakfast: Continental from The Westin, good valued buffet, lots of fresh fruits
Lunch: most awful Subway I've ever had, soggy and drippy chicken wrap, erg
Cappuccino from Starbucks
Late afternoon: one coconut yogurt soft ice cream
Dinner: Half dozen of raw oysters and Fisherman's stew (small) at Grand Isle Restaurant. My best meal of the day.

19/03/2018

Breakfast: Continental breakfast from The Westin. I just couldn't resist the fresh fruits! And I discovered a fantastic view of Mississippi river from the lobby and the restaurant area. Looking at fog/steam slowly rising up from the River is quite mesmerizing. Shall remember to take a photo next time.

Bumped into an acquaintance in a foreign city! It's just nice to be able to talk to someone slightly more than just the pleasantry. We ended up unwinding in Mulate's sharing fried calamaris and BBQ shrimps with root beer (for me) and virgin pina colada (for her). After that, we went to Cochon, a reception hosted by one software provider. Surprisingly I didn't see anyone I know (I had expected to know at least a couple) but unknowingly sat at the same table with a famous scientist! He came to the reception with his wife but no one else was really talking to him except us. Well, a great loss for the others. At the end of the reception, my acquaintance met another co-worker. We ended up chatting together as well and went to the evening poster session. Popcorn from the ACS for dinner.

20/03/2018

Breakfast: Starbucks coffee provided by the Westin. No hotel breakfast today. It's good to have a break.

Talks today were rather lack-luster. The weather turned out to be sunny but cool. I enjoyed my riverside walk.

Lunch: Shrimp Norman form the nearby outlet food court. It's fried shrimp with cheese sauce. I chose sweet potato fries as a side. I didn't think it's possible to get tired of fried food but I am now.

Dinner: Half dozen of raw oysters, Shrimp Etouffee and Virgin Mojito at Red Fish Grill. I sat at the bar tonight, feeling quite grown up eating alone in a foreign country. I was very well looked after by Dickey, one of the very busy bartenders. I had a great meal and finest (fried) catfish in my life (the catfish was part of the Etouffee dish.

I think tomorrow will be Asian themed food. I am now sated with Cajun/Southern food.

ps. Is it ever possible to be tired of Perfect by Ed Sheeran?

21/03/2018

Had a drink with some people from the conference between 5pm and 7pm. This is my last day in the conference. The night was getting dark and the wind was getting strong.  Needed a jacket and the group parted.

Dinner: Vietnamese food from 9 Roses Cafe. My initial plan didn't pan-out as the queue was long and the restaurant is small. Waiting an undefined amount of time for a one-person table didn't sound like a tempting thing to do so I left. Wondering along back N Peters st I found a Mexican joint (Felipe's). Went in and got a taco salad with pulled pork and rice. Feeling slightly consoled.

22/03/2018

I've been looking forward to this day trip for a week. Got picked up at 7:55am from the hotel. Off we go to Bayou swamp boat ride and two plantation visits.

After one hour on the road, we arrived at Brian's for the bayou ride. Captain Brian is knowledgeable about the bayou, the nature and its environment. A true native (a cajun?) who is passionately sharing the local info. I didn't expect the bayou so calming and pretty. Too bad that we only spotted a few (baby) alligators as the weather was not hot enough (although perfect for human). Regardless, the commentary and scenery are all worth the time.

After that, we visited the Oak Alley. The whole plantation ground feels like a scene from Gone With The Wind! Not to mention the guide for our short house tour has the most lovely southern accent. Visually magnificent, historically sobering. The lunch which was included in the tour was just ok. Too salty for my taste but gave everyone a taste of cajun food.

The high note of this day trip was Laura Plantation. A creole style plantation, very different from Oak Alley, the unforgettable visit was mostly thanked to Camille, our knowledgeable, energetic and theatrical guide. The whole tour lasted about 1hr 20 min, rather long compared to others, covers thoroughly the history of the Big House and the society at the time. I couldn't have enough if not for physical fatigue. Just think about how far we human beings have come. We should all be grateful with what we've got and treat with uttermost respect and care.

23/03/2018

This morning I had a Music and Heritage tour by Keith. A clear local music enthusiast, well, New Orleans has a lot to say about music. Although I don't know much about jazz/blue/brass, I enjoyed listening to Keith's stories about local music legends. It's another way into the history and I thoroughly enjoyed my two hours with Keith.

One of our final stops was in Louis Armstrong park where we saw a park ranger leading a parade with school kids, singing and dancing together. ''I want to be a park ranger" is the theme of the song and I found it utterly sweet. For 5-6 year-olds, what could be a better way to show them a way of life through music and sharing what you know. That scene with a park ranger playing and singing with a guitar followed by a file of small children raising small white umbrellas is perhaps the most endearing thing I've seen here.

Through Keith, I got to know Professor Longhair (what a gem) and Doreen Ketchens, a living musician still playing in French quarter, road side in front of a supermarket, despite selling records worldwide. That sums up New Orleans for me. Talent, passion and dedication. New Orleans is such an intriguing city.

24/03/2018

Au revoir, New Orleans. I will take home with the steam slowly rising up from the Mississippi river in the morning, the chimes from the cruising ships late at night and the school kids following a singing and guitar playing man and realizing how far we have moved forward. It's such a pleasure to know you.

2018 weekly - Week 11

13/03/2018

Feeling quite exhausted today. It's been unstopping for me, meetings, work, evening classes. So busy that I have to skip my favorite fitness classes. I feel terrible that I can't go to the gym as often as I could. Next week I am out of the country again for a week. No gym but hopefully more fun.

Watch this space.

14/03/2018

Got up at 5am this morning for a 7am meeting but caught this news at dawn break. A world-famous local, I may not understand his academic achievements but hugely inspired by his determination and will of steel in life. You almost forgot the tremendous amount of challenges he had to go through every day for most of his life in order to do anything simple, because Hawking made it look so effortlessly. I also forgot how capricious his life must have been, thinking that he would go on just like many of us.

But, it's the intensity, not the length that matters in life. Farewell, my fellow local. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.

I cook - Pasta carbonara

I must have started the first draft many years ago on pasta carbonara but last night, after a long tiring week of work, I made a version of this pasta classic which wowed both of us. Onion powder is unconventional but it adds a savory note to the dish, discreet and yet satisfying. I decided to write this recipe down.


Pasta carbonara, my way

- bacon/pancetta/ham strips, sufficient for two
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 yolk
- garlic powder (3 shakes)
- onion powder (1/4 tsp)
- 1/2 cup of grated cheese (parmasen, pecorino or cheddar)
- plenty of freshly ground black pepper
- tagliatelle for two (or Fettuccine). I prefer broad pasta for carbonara but spaghetti is the tradition.
- extra grated cheese to serve

Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water.

In a heatproof bowl, mix together 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 cup of grated cheese and black pepper. Set aside while you grill the bacon.

Fry bacon (or meat of your choice) in a pot with some olive oil. When the bacon strips are lightly browned on the edges, turn off the heat and pour off excess fat.

When the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta (save the pasta water and the pot) and stir into the bacon pan. Coat the pasta with the bacon flavor and transfer the pasta into the egg mixture. Position the bowl on top of the pot which cooked the pasta. Whisk the pasta and eggs and let the gentle heat thicken the sauce. If the egg mixture remains watery after a few minutes, turn on the heat at low under the pasta water pot and keep on whisking/stirring until the sauce is thickened.

Serve the pasta with extra grated cheese and black pepper on top.

2018 weekly - Week 10

07-08/03/2018

One of the greatest pleasure in life is to work with like minded people who appreciate your work and are not shy to say so. You know what's even better? That the same people happen to have great manners and the same interests as you off work.

Thank you, Z!

2018 weekly - Week 9

27/02/2018

I tried the new gym for the first time, after an almost month long break. It really feels good to be back. Now fitness classes make me feel alive and a sense of purpose, not to mention refreshing my mind and relaxing my brain. I had a new instructor in a new class today. Feeling a bit challenged right now physically but I am sure I will improve in a few months.

On the snow side, it seems that most of UK apart from where I live is covered with snow today. Oh well, it's a blessing as the road traffic doesn't get affected too much here.

Tomorrow we are treated with fish & chips at work.

28/02/2018

Well, it turned out that snow decided to visit us today. We probably got at least two inches of snow at home and three inches worth at work. It pretty much snowed through the whole morning and stopped at 1pm. The temperature dropped to -6C when we went home, possibly the coldest temperature since I arrived in this region.

The fish & chips arrived fine though. Quite an experience to have F&C looking out at the snow.

02/03/2018

It's a record. We have had snow fall every day this week. Quite something to remember as I don't remember we had such a sustained snow fall before. The main roads are well gritted so commuting is fine. Lucky for us, I know.

I've tried the new gym a number of times this week. I like it very much so far. The new gym has much for space for exercising, classes and changing. So far I am also satisfied with the quality of classes. They are all new to me and I've been enjoying different challenges. Did I tell you that it has underfloor heating in the changing room? Heaven especially on a sub-zero day like this week.

2018 weekly - Week 8

Still having fun with my family. 2018 weekly will return to normal soon.

Be well.

2018 weekly - Week 7

11-12/02/2018

Good morning, Alishan.

13/02/2018

Just bite the bullet, go see my dentist. :-(

16/02/2018

Happy Chinese New Year (of the Dog)!

2018 weekly - Week 6

04/02/2018

Two last meetings before I take off to the green island!

05/02/2018

Sharing a bottle of bubbly with our neighbour, F, to thank her for the support.

2018 weekly - Week 5

30/01/2018

Courgette and mint, what a great combination! Made a frittata tonight with courgettes, potatoes, onions and dried mint. The mint flavor is quite subtle in the final frittata but somehow lifts and enhances the overall flavor. Even the carnivore hubby praised it tonight. Success!

31/01/2018

"Once in a blue moon" means something happens very rarely. I am sure you know? Tonight is a blue moon astronomically as we are having a second full moon within a calendar month. It turned out that tonight the moon is also very close to the earth which makes this blue moon a super moon! And this super blue moon is really special because of its third feature and I shall let you find out from here. Don't forget to watch the night sky tonight!

01/02/2018

Cookie brittle, a recipe I've been meaning to make but never got around it. Got home early tonight so what can be a better opportunity/excuse?! It's basically a blondie recipe (minus the egg) but bake it thinly so that it comes out crisp. The recipe is easily halved which is what I did (can't justify making the whole thing with just one month into the new year!). I can see why many people say it's addictive. Be warned!

Next time, I will mix the chocolate chips into the dough rather than dotted on the surface. Other than that, it's a keeper!

Half-portioned cookie brittle

- 100 g butter
- 100 g demerara sugar or brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- 140 g flour (1 cup)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup of chopped nuts and chocolate chips

Preheat the oven at 175C.

Melt butter and sugar in a pot. Keep the heat medium-low. Once the butter is all melted, beat the mixture vigorously to blend sugar and butter into one cohesive mixture while cooling down.

Once the butter-sugar mixture cools to body temperature, stir in the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Tip the dough onto a prepared tin (lined) and use your fingers/spatula to flatten the dough out to a thickness of 0.5-0.8cm.

Bake the dough at 175C for 22-25 minutes. Rotate the tray twice at the interval of 10 minutes. If the cookie browns too quickly, drop the temperature to 160C.

Cool the cookie brittle completely before breaking or cutting into smaller pieces.

2018 weekly - Week 4

23/01/2018

Tried a new restaurant tonight, Trinity. It's a restaurant whose menu is heavy on seafood and boy did they do it well! I had octopus as a starter and lemon sole for the main. Both were cooked to perfection. My octopus is tender, perfectly grilled, crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. Just when I thought that may my dish of the night, my lemon sole surprised me. It's pan fried crisp with lots of flavor from the fish itself and also from the clams. The fish is meaty and firm. One of the nicest fish dishes I've tasted.

Two restaurants in two weeks (thanks for company's business dinner budget). Trinity definitely won in this case.

24/01/2018

It looks like my favorite fitness instructor is not continuing with the new gym. For whatever reason, S and her routines managed to keep me motivated and her routines actually have a positive impact on me. I am so sad not being able to see her again. But life goes on, doesn't it? I take part of S's training with me and move along to my next stage of exercise. I look forward to the new gym with new instructors and new routines.

2018 weekly - Week 3

14/01/2018

Two weeks into 2018 and I finished my 5000 meters at 41 minutes and 4 seconds. Not bad, eh! I am still aiming at 40 minutes for 5000 meters this year but hey, I am not ruling out revising the goal time should all stars are aligned.

17-19/01/2018

Four meetings in three days. I just hope to keep enough energy for a mini gym run this week.

2018 weekly - Week 2

Before I know it, the first half of 2018 will just vanish.

This week, I've been so busy with:

1) preparing for meetingS in a week

2) fulfilling my duty for the peer-review journals (I can't believe the quality of submissions these days. Any ill-conceived experiment (failed or not) seems to be an idea for submission? Not to mention the bad writing and me spending my evenings reading and responding)

3) restarting my French class (we had a good laugh revising l'alphabet francais)

4) up at 5am for a 7am meeting (my body really prefers vampires' hours)

5) sorting out my (small) savings. It's demoralizing to see my saving being bleeding away by inflation. Everyone who knows a little bit about investing says funds and stock market are the way. But I still feel uncomfortable putting much of my saving there. I hate dealing with money!!

2018 weekly - Week 1

01/01/2018

Today, I feel my body is mine again. After being sick for a week, the ability to breath, move, think freely and generously feels refreshingly new and welcome to me. With renewed energy and spirit levels, I am willing to go back to work and take on what comes my way.

My body reacted a bit by flaring up in one area today. By now I have learned to live with my sensitive skin. A layer of pure aloe vera so far does the trick. Talking about the stress! Ha.

04/01/2018

First day back to gym and not as painful as I thought. I have a lot to catch up but I like the feeling that when everything is back on track.

2017 New Year Eve dinner

Starter

Wild boar pate, sweet and sour red cabbage and coleslaw.

Main

Cotechino with lentils (Italians believe that lentils bring good luck for the coming year. Who am I to argue with Romans? On top of that, both are my favorite ingredients!)

Dessert

Chocolate mousse