whine & dine

Found this on flickr in the explore page. Apparently, I’m also guilty of liking the china girl look (I prefer to describe them as having small eyes and delicate features but I suppose china girl will do too).

(Also found this. So cute!)

So it’s been a week and a half since the bunny and I moved (and I actually have a parting shot of the old place to post only I stupidly brought my film camera when we went there for the last time and now I have to finish the roll before I can develop and post it), and we’re pretty much settled in now. It’s a much bigger place this time, and I think most of you would have felt the excitement radiating from me now that I have a kitchen that’s of usable size. Better than that – it’s actually a really spacious area and I’m going to be very sad when we have to move out of here.

It will be no surprise to you, then, that two of my favourite acquisitions belong in the kitchen. One of them, pictured above, is my cafe retro, which I first saw (and fell in love with) in Novemble (sic). It’s a sexy beast and makes yummy coffee – conveniently too, since I have the option of using pods.

The other one is my spice rack, which I got at Dean and Deluca on my recent trip to New York. (Yes, bunny had to lug it home for me while I went skiing hehe.) It’s freaking awesome ‘cos it’s got a whole bunch of herbs and spices which aren’t that easy to find in Singaporean supermarkets (like fenugreek) which I suppose would be available in Mustafa but I’m also not willing to go through hell just for herbs and spices. Perhaps I’m not such a true foodie after all. :|

Anyhoo, bunny’s also very delighted with her German smoking man (it’s an incense holder where you burn an incense cone and basically he ends up looking like he’s smoking. Yes, we chose the one that looked like a chef) which she’s wanted for eons but we never had the space for till now.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll be throwing my first (official) dinner party – in my red weekly planner it’s written down as “Housewarming – First Wave” though to be honest I’ve already had most of the people over for informal dinners. (Ashwin posted a couple of pictures here and here.) The only problem is: in the hustle and bustle of the move, I kind of ended up forgetting what my humongous menu was going to be (I spent like a good month or two planning it!).

Oh well. Anyway, rambly time is over. It’s been a long week settling back into school, warring for modules, settling into the new place, and cooking non-stop, so this is just a not-so-short hello everybody from the new place post and I’ve never been good with conclusions anyway so okay byebye.

This one’s for you. Just so you know I’m thinking of you (and worrying about you – as usual). And also so you know that it’s going to get better, since rain’s always followed by rainbows.

-hug.

So a dear friend of mine and her girlfriend came by before she had to fly off to the land of bad food, and the kitchen got a request for my mini burgers and tagliatelle bianco. Dinner went down perfectly, we had dubby’s version of Surf & Turf – crispy fried prawns on pasta bianco served with mini burgers topped with lovely melty cheese, carmelized onions, pickles and tomatoes. The conscience even screamed so I made a light salad with a basil dressing, and of course there was my cheesecake which was all on request.

Tonight, 3 more friends are coming over – belle, meow and ashwin. The menu will be as follows:

Starter

Main Courses (both served with pasta pepperonata)

Dessert

Alrighty-ho, it’s time to cook. I might have pictures later depending.

Edit: Okay I just sliced a piece of my thumb clean off my hand. haha. It’s not very painful, but kind of inconvenient.

2nd Edit: If you guys want pictures of the food, go bug Ashwin to develop his film and post them. I was too lazy to shoot so I let him do the work. ;p

So when it’s early in the morning and you’re about to go even further from your love who, theoretically, is already so far from you it really doesn’t make a difference, obviously the only thing for you to do is to think of the most emo song you can possibly summon from the depths of your being and play it on repeat. (Okay so 1000 Oceans by Tori Amos isn’t playing on iTunes now – it’s currently at Watch Them Fly Sundays by the Stereophonics, but you know what I mean.)

These tears I’ve cried, I’ve cried a thousand oceans.
And if it seems I’m floating in the darkness, well,
I can’t believe that I would keep, keep you from flying.
And I would cry a thousand more if that’s what it takes to sail you home.
Sail you home. Sail you home.

I’m aware what the rules are, but you know that I will run.
You know that I will follow you.
Over Silbury hill through the solar field.
You know that I will follow you.

And if I find you, will you still remember playing at trains,
Or does this little blue ball just fade away?
Over Silbury hill through the solar field.
You know that I will follow you.
I’m aware what the rules are, but you know that I will run.
You know that I will follow you.

These tears I’ve cried, I’ve cried a thousand oceans.
And if it seems I’m floating in the darkness, well,
I can’t believe that I wouldn’t keep you from flying.
So I would cry a thousand more if that’s what it takes to sail you home.
Sail you home. Sail you home. Sail you home.

I’ll be home soon. I love you, baby.