Tarte aux Pommes

Weeks spin by and we're already in our 4th week at school. With our items getting progressively larger, I'm starting to panic at the thought of having all that food, but no one to eat. As friends gradually leave London one by one, my team of eaters simultaneously dips! Thank goodness more people will be coming back closer to the examination period.

We had our very unnerving mid term examination prep talk today and I'm rather determined to practice practice practice. I guess its a good thing that my internship is coming to an end, so at least I have more time on my hands to practice rather than the standalone Sunday.

Practical this week saw us making the Tarte aux Pommes as well as the Jalousie (which I'll be attempting at home again on Sunday). The Jalousie really was tres yum and was pretty much gone before anyone could say anything. The Tarte aux Pommes, was also quite well received, but not without my two favourite boys of course(ben and jerry's - what were you thinking!)!!

The Real Deal

Despite most of year 2 trying to figure out the lemon meringue pie, (and eating up most of excess lemon curd through the various experimentation) I've never really been able to get the meringue and the tart shell quite right. Mind you, the pate brisee was tremendously difficult - what with the lack of baking beans, a rolling pin and various websites telling you different proportions, each trumpeting their version of it.

Thankfully, I got what I signed up for- tackling the basics :)

So my piping skills need vast improvement, but everything fell into place yesterday, despite our 2-practicals-in-a-row Wednesdays. The tart- check; the lemon curd- check; the meringue- check; the curd to meringue ratio- check. Voila!




















And because it was 2-practicals-in-a-row Wednesdays, we made choux pastry as well. The take-home total was very staggering- 8 coffee creme eclairs and 8 choux swans! But thankfully, my team of eaters went straight for the win.




















p.s. pardon the bad photo quality- the lighting's pretty severe in the kitchen, and the silver cake board wasn't helping ):

Transit City

For so many reasons, London just seems to be a transit city. So many people have called London home, but only for a small pocket of time in their lives. Some come, lured by the opportunities the City holds, others, to etch out a better living; Or, some, in possession of the choice to pursue higher education in this crazy, yet wonderful city I've called home for 3 years.

I'll never forget returning home from summer break and hearing numerous 'Oh, it's good to have you back' everywhere I went, from people from all walks of life. It felt so strange, yet so right. London was just that. A transit city. Yet, a transit city that people somehow find each other and form friendships that may or may not outlive the future geographical distance that might span between them.

I've found great friends during my three years here. Friends supportive of what I want to do (i.e. eat all the stuff I bake- successes and failures), friends who listen to my constant ramblings and friends who are there to hold me up when I've had a drink (or two) too many. And I do hope that geography will never take its toll.

But graduating from university represents my step away from my transit city. Small steps (since LCB means a few more months here). I guess its that moment of real adulthood beckoning, so enticing, so liberating, yet so scary. I'm glad mummy came.

Pictures: Graduation Celebration Dinner at Homage (The Waldorf Hilton)

Nobu with Mum ♥

Mummy's here in London! Went to the very acclaimed Nobu for lunch today after school and I really have to say that it did live up to expectations after all :) She had the spicy seafood udon which was pretty unusual while I had the bento box. I found a new favourite in the yellowtail sashimi which (I realised today) was pretty much massacred by the other restaurants that I frequent. The miso cod fish too, was in a class of its own - the marriage of all the flavours, steeped in some darn amazing marinade for 3 days was crazily yummy.

We shared the chocolate bento box for desert and all I can say is :):)



























































O! and I really had to take a picture of this. How cute is this!! If I ever drove a car, it'd be one of these for sure!

Meringues: Practical 2

Life's pretty much in limbo right now- waiting for the results (still pretty much the dialectic between 'tell me now' and 'ignorance is bliss'), waiting for my fairy job-mother to toss me some amazing job offer too good to refuse, waiting for the movers to come.

Waiting is very tiring.

But I like to think I live in the moment, for the moment- and to be finally living the dream I've had since forever is pure ecstasy. Started school at LCB 2 weeks ago and already testing various heating points of sugar and making meringues.

Yes, meringues. I never really understood how people just eat the whole blob of snow white composite. But, you know how sometimes, one defining moment can alter staunchly held convictions? YUP. the pairing of the piped meringues sandwiched by a layer of chantilly cream was tres tres yum.

The Elvie

So, back when I still had exams and all my flatmates were far done and happily going for afternoon teas at the Berkeley (yes. poor me), my flatmate came back one day with a little marzipan Alexander McQueen bag courtesy of the place. A quick net-a-porter check also became a reality check - at 974 pounds, I truly believe that was the closest I was going to get to the McQueen. Besides, the colour in marzipan looked a whole lot better.

But I do love the resemblance and it actually looked darn cute. And it being the closest I could get to a McQueen, I refused to chuck it in the bin (it was in my fridge for a good 2 weeks), until the same flatmate declared that it was either I ate it or he'd chuck it out.

Out it went, but I've now immortalised it.
Yay Me!