Obsession

To remind me of the occasions where I love my family - Sunday Lunch. That's a big chicken, some sort of roast potatoes, dumplings with chinese cabbage and noodles. I say sort-of roast potatoes because I boiled them far too early because mum wanted the hob, and then I used butter to roast when I'd really prefer olive oil. Hence they are only sort of crispy in parts - namely the bits where I drizzled chicken fat over. Will do better at Christmas - if I knock mother out the way! The chicken however is majestically browned. The product of buying from Waitrose, smearing with butter and salt, shoving two quarters of lemon up it's nethers and bits of garlic all over. Yummy. I took the picture above in Bristol. It's fried tofu wrapped in seaweed with some kind of sweet soy. The reason I took the pic was because it wasn't what I ordered - but it was pretty nice all the same. That's it for savouries. Until I find a use for half a lemon in baking, plus the chicken flavoure...

List of cake places to hit (according to London Lite - I'm a London Paper girl myself...) Outsider Tart Hummingbird Bakery Buttercup cake Treacle Primrose Bake-a-boo Konditor & Cook Peyton & Byrne

Apparently this is what Bristol is famous for. Bristol Blue. I had a vaguest recollection somewhere about it but did a search today. Picture is filched from a website of the same name. In all honesty, the only Bristol Blue I've seen, is one lone bottle behind the reception of my current client. That's only because I've been storing my luggage behind there that I noticed. (Always notice breakables when you are a klutz like me!) This is an entirely non-foody blog day. My back is aching, I have eaten Japanese to the gills in Bristol. I'm debating whether tips are allowed on expenses. I'm wearing a pair of black jeans bought this week and have just realised one of the belt loops needs attaching. (But they look good and didn't cost me £81 but the bargain price of £25. Okay at Dorothy Perkins it was the pricier pair but still!!) I am still wanting the Gucci watch (Black dahhling) but since I've not been in London, none of the shops seem to carry the crazy priced w...

The extent of how much I need to invest to photograph properly has just been made abundantly clear. See that plate below? It's actually pink...

It has to be said, this baby isn't pretty. It did look absolutely gorgeous till I heaped the brown mess of streusel on top. Think next time, we'll opt for my usual sugar streusel with white sugar. This brown stuff... looks like something you scrape off a shoe. Like I said before, we had sour cream in the fridge, a glut of apples, and so I created this little number from a recipe online . The picture they had was slightly better and retrospectively that might have been because I was rough and ready with the measuring of the butter, plus I melted it rather than make crumbs from it - fridge cold, microwaving it seemed easier. Therefore there was actually butter to pour OFF the pie before it finished. Still tasted yummy and family are actually eating it. Bit OTT given the JustRol had TWO rounds of pastry. The other round I made in to a banana, apple sauce and custard topped pie. It looks as random as it sounds but very edible. However, for the picture above the recipe went like thi...

I'm a bad, bad person. I bought sour cream last week and still haven't used it. Well I was in Bristol all week. Work. Rather fabulous city although no dessert! Which is namely because of the colleague I was with. Oh well. At least I suppose I am no heavier. That might change this weekend since the sour cream is still in date so I can bake with it. I did manage to dine at the recommended Bordeaux Quay in Bristol though and it was really affordable. Well I say really - the service charge is automatically added, but they didn't charge us for water which I was surprised by. So used to water being pressed upon you for £XXXX that I actually feel bad that we didn't buy a drink or have dessert (like I said, colleague). So I will look around and see what I can make with sour cream, although I can always do my favourite cupcakes, it seems lacking in va-va-voom experimentation today. The apples by the way are the product of some man with a large organic stock who is giving them to...

So. Exam over. Friday I went out briefly for steak and lemon meringue pie. Wasn't an amazing pie but at least it was a good sized slice. Saturday featured the joys of Watford shopping centre and a fashion show. I love them. Pity the poor models who have to dance in high heels on a stage designed almost to trip them up. It's a hard life. Even if you do look hot. Sunday was rainy. So it had to be done. BAKE FEST!! I went straight for the cookies book. Fortunately there was a bit of planning involved. I spent the Saturday stocking up on flour and various chocolate chips and coconut, just in case there was an opportunity! I did, I confess, not make any of the recipes that I had listed. Instead I opted for the classic - chocolate chip and a vanilla cookie. The aim was to make use of the Hello Kitty cookie cutters I have from HK. Unfortunately, as you can see, they didn't really show up (although as I've just noticed, a ghost of Hello Kitty is in the top corner of that heart)...

One more day to revolution, one more day to... Les Mis anyone? Exam's tomorrow. I'm in denial that I don't know anything. Spent a few minutes watching fireworks on tv celebrating something to do with China and HK and possibly Samsung since their building was behind every shot. Being sent to Bristol for four weeks. What's that famous for then? I will bake. And if I'm lucky go to the meet. (FYI all "meets" are basically the British Born Chinese ones). And maybe the Barn Hotel since my brother is free this weekend (gf with a rock on finger/possible fiance has gone to Manchester this weekend). And a film. I could go see a film... and catch up with all the Ugly Betty's, Heroes and Desparate Housewives I've missed.... must.focus...

Hmm. No baking. Some forum posting. But someone posted (at length) about Maze restaurant and her birthday. It was informative. I have to try it some day. But guess where my eyes zeroed in on? Bea's Cakes of Bloomsbury . *chi-ching* Guess where I'm going hunting this weekend? :) American cakes. Which one do I try?? Debate on fried rice online at the moment. People put the egg in last? Sacrilege!! Oh well. At least they didn't say cook separately and slice into slivers and toss through *grins* Ah the yesteryears of "chinese" cookery. Beats people who would overcook the egg I suppose. Craving for fried rice now.