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(top image from the Pier cookbook)

the old lady that I am had to give up at work today after feeling so drowsy I could not even move. I could, however, think. about what makes me super happy right now.

in random order.

basil seeds. I’ve seen them everywhere over the span of a couple of days. in popsicles. on salmon carpaccio. and in my new favourite cookbook (picture above is the amazing honeydew melon soup with coconut sorbet and tapioca. love at the first sight).

books. while I’m at it, I must mention my recent favourite reads. I think I stated it pretty clearly above, but one of them is Pier by Greg Doyle. the second is Made in England by Aiden Byrne.

polaroid. and especially the fact that my polaroid spectra has the loveliest bokeh ever.

matcha bubble tea. before I even tasted one, I knew I was going to love it. and I do. so much that I just got one kg of big rainbow tapioca pearls in china town.

sweet purple yam. I still don’t know what I’m going to make out of it. but I’m pretty excited.

it seems my thoughts have geared towards food lately. I’ve been feeling overly inspired by exotic ingredients. I’m so grateful to be living my dream. being a pastry chef is beyond what I could have imagined. some call it bliss. I simply see it as evident.

what makes you happy right now? or perhaps, what are your latest culinary discoveries?

ps. in case you’re wondering, the food diary is on a break, but everything is going just fine. I think I’ll just post an update weekly so not to bore you with unexciting details about my food consumption.

tags: books, bubble tea, china town, fruit, illustration, list, london, pier, polaroid, vegetable.

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despite feeling like an old lady due to the flu, today has been the best day ever; and also the coldest.

one. I bought everything to recreate my favourite bagel in london. the beef will start its brining tomorrow. and next week, it will be time for some bagel-making action.

two. I took the loveliest polaroid of my rainy window. blurry and all. I’m in love.

three. I finally made that one dessert I had in mind. photographed it. and talked (too much) about it.

since today is my very own sunday I treated myself with some delicious ricotta and spinach ravioli. hmmmm. good night. x

tags: bread, film, food diary, foodbeam, list, london, pentax me super, polaroid, rain, window.

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today was all about movie-watching, cosy blanket-snuggling. flu is what they call it. I’d much rather take this as an opportunity to listen to the rain drops hitting my window.

ps. Mary, thank you for the link. I love her illustrations. they’re so lovely.

tags: food diary, fruit, illustration.

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happiness is around the corner my lovelies. I feel ecstatic.

the only down-side is that I realised I consume a little too much eggs. but as sad as it is, they are the only source of protein available widely at work.

anyway, I treated myself with some sushi for dinner. so lovely. and a change from the albumin.

my week end is around the corner too. and the thought of a long night of sleep and cheeks hurting from laughing too much does sound very appealing.

tags: food diary, illustration.

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here is my attempt at making goals two and three become real. I’m going to record the food I eat (and the possible – hooray – weight loss) and draw/photograph at least one thing per day.

today will be day one. just because there is no coherent reason to wait until next monday to start this experiment.

wish me luck.

ps. no, I haven’t dropped my summer project, I’ve just been off for a few days. being a fluo kid, partying until the sun comes out, and drinking coffee during the day.

tags: drink, food diary, illustration.

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day one of vanilla extract making. hopefully, I’ll document this on foodbeam.

I had been dreaming of producing my very own vanilla loveliness for a long time. too long in fact. make this my first achievement for Elsie’s simple goals project.

one. make vanilla extract.
two. eat healthily.
three. draw more.
four. find out what I really want to do.

tags: canon 400D, foodbeam, list.

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today’s grey weather and light rain have pushed me into a much-loved state of cosiness.

wrapped into a warm wool cardigan, I crossed the street to buy some eggs and milk. crêpe time!

crêpes are the ultimate comfort food for me. and the recollection of my dad making them by the stove while my mum, sister and I were longing in front of our plates might have had an impact.
definitely, a part of our happy family.

what’s your favourite comfort food? and mostly, why?

ps. for the record, here is my go-to recipe. never fails to please hungry friends. in a bowl, mix 300g of flour, a pinch of salt, and two eggs. then gradually add 500g of milk. mixing well after every addition. finally, incorporate a small glass of water to thin up the batter slightly.
cook into a hot pan, making sure you grease it with a little butter every now and then

tags: canon 400D, crepes, rain, recipe.

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sometimes, I just like to pause and explore the surroundings. the energy. the precision. and the passion. it’s so beautiful it all seems like a dream.

patisserie, check on! and there. I wake up and get the desserts ready. service please, table eleven!

what leaves you dreamy about your job?

tags: canon 400D, capital hotel, kitchen.

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a new month begins. in thirty days I will turn twenty-five. I’m still undecided for my wishlist. I just know I want something bold to remember what a long way I have come.

recently, I have – in alphabetical order:

one. made apple tarts.
two. eaten a warm salad of beetroot and goat cheese.
three. molded a dark chocolate bar and sprinkled it with with maldon sea salt.
four. seen the roses Guillaume gave me for our first anniversary getting dry.
five. spotted some blooming flowers in hyde park.
six. dreamed about actual floating lamps.
seven. loved this laundry string.
eight. thought that red and green is pretty.
nine. taken a walk on a sunny morning.
ten. felt overwhelmed by the building around trafalgar square.

tags: architecture, capital hotel, film, flowers, guillaume, hyde park, london, love, pentax me super, spring, the clarendon.

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today was my first time with many things.

one. I shared pictures of my work at the Capital Hotel on foodbeam.
two. I heard the thunder and saw lightnings through my window.
three. I took a walk at six pm and the sun was still shining.

I’m now off to make peanut butter fudge. yes, I totally watched the delicious miss Dahl and found her so lovely. I love the vintage feel of it.

as a side note, I’ve really been wanting to turn my too-many-blogs into one. well, it’s just a thought.

ps. London’s weather will never cease to surprise me. storm and then sun?

tags: candy, capital hotel, film, list, london, pentax me super, sophie dahl, tart, window.