Salty Soy Beancurd

A recent visit to Suzhou left me in awe of this simple street food that was in part reminiscent of home, in part a stroke of genius. Common ingredients that come together in a lovely explosion of flavours. It left me determined to re-create the dish at home. I was just missing a little seaweed and chilli-sauce, but it's still very very good.

Discovering Erik Satie

Elegant music that tide me through all week

 - The Gymnopédies -

Ballet Inspiration

A Study of Ballet

Watch the video here

Good Friday

May every Friday are made of these...

Food Blog Crush - Beyond Kimchee

This food blog is my #1 go to food blog - mostly for the Korean recipes. The author, Holly, is such an all rounder. Great food, pictures and I like her strange sense of humor in her writing. I follow her recipes pretty religiously. It is rather apparent from how I even try to make my dish look like her twin at all stages of the cooking. The top picture is from The Queen (&-Authority-on-Korean-cooking) herself. The bottom picture is le typical twin attempt at the stage just before adding The Stock.

The result was my twin pot of beef tofu stew was cleaned out in record time. It's so good, I can dance a little jiggy dance. 

Follow the best food blog ever ever here

Follow Beyond Kimchee's Beef Tofu in a Skillet recipe here

Stephen Hough plays Dvořák

I first came to know Stephen Hough from Paderewski's Nocturne on Youtube quite a while ago. And I really got to know him from his concert along with the SSO last night. It was  a m a z i n g. Claire completely agrees. The conductor was a cute looking oldish man with an even cuter name  - Okko Kamu.

The night started with Carl Nielsen's Helios Overture that was really outstanding for me. Next up was the highlight of the evening, the man himself - Stephen Hough. It was surreal to watch the world famous pianist performing up close, completely immersed in Dvořák's piano concerto in G minor, Op. 33.

As I watched him perform, the difference between good and great suddenly became pretty apparent. Good is being able to articulate fairly well, great is where the fine nuances are articulated precisely. By that, Stephen Hough is great for me and Claire, at least.

The night rounded up with Sibelius's Symphony No. 2. Stephen Hough was still the highlight nonetheless.

Great concert and looking forward to the next!

Ode to Martin

Martin made me this welcome soup when I visited him. It was so awesome, I knew I had to share the love. I was slightly nervous during the process because I really wanted it to turn out well. 

And it did! My tribute to my favourite Czech guy ever.

Kulajda Soup
(Czech Potato & Dill Soup)

Sebastião Salgado - Genesis

Again, thanks to my friend's boyfriend who gave his ticket to Sebastião Salgado's talk at the National Museum today - I had the incredible chance to listen in to the photographer himself. His life, his passion, his photography.

While I have no autograph or pictures to boast, I do keep in my heart a thing or two that he said which made me reflect the stage of life I am in, question what my passion is, made me want to live so much more deeply - and not only for myself, but for others too.

You can listen a little to the man himself below:

Weekend Photography Immersion I

Thanks to my photographer friend, or her boyfriend rather, I had a chance to immerse in two days of photography experience.

First up, "The Ghosts in Our Machine" was showing at The Arts House on Saturday. It was an affecting documentary on the plight of the unseen animals that has been exploited for us - humans.

While I don't think I am ready to go vegan as yet, it does make me wonder how I can source ethically produced food and products.

Jason Lai - once more

Gardens by Jason Lai  

We know Jason Lai the conductor 

Who knew he takes such great pictures too?

Love the juxtaposition of the black and white

More here

I know why the caged bird sings

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised, and his bosom sore,
When he beats his bars and would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core,
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings -
I know why a caged bird sings.

- Paul Lawrence Dunbar

Iceland Revisted

Iceland's my dream destination

This dream is now lived through my brother

Some initial pictures from him

Inhale deeply bro!

Icelandic poetry

'How strange the spring

I am beginning to look

forward to, waking at

daybreak, looking out,

inhaling sky and earth,

salt and cool mountains'

- Matthias Johannessen

Tea-time

Matcha Marscapone from Maison Kayser

Love this afternoon tea combination

Matcha marscapone cake

One of my favourite tea set

A blush of carnations

Mmm.

Re-Tennis

The beautiful game

Has started again

In a court nearby

♥

Above the courts at daybreak

Holiday reading - Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders

The odd thing I do when shopping at Soon Lee is that I'm fond of packing out its doors with books instead of their beautiful apparel. I honestly think they do know a thing or two about books. It's a small but well-curated selection and I was happy to pack this bit of mystery for my Friday reading.

Mortimer's Rumpole has got vision, faith (though it falters at times) and just enough worchestershire-sauce-like humour. A comfortable 3 hour read with an outcome that has got  everything going right, and again, it never does hurt to have a classic cover like this.

Vince Guaraldi Trio

On the repeat mode

So so good

Makes one dream of swaying along

in a long gown with a bit of sass

no less

Meatball Spagetti

Recipe from here

This is the yums
Slight deviation from Oliver's reipe

But the meatballs are still so good

John Steinbeck

Design by Kathryn Macnaughton

I know John Steinbeck as the one who wrote 'Of Mice and Men' and now I know him more. As the one who also wrote 'East of Eden' and 'The Grapes of Wrath'.

Partial credit of the rediscovery go to Dave Eggers (on quoting Steinbeck) and remaining credits to Kathryn Macnaughton (for that amazing cover illustration). More than thoroughly enjoyed East of Eden and just started on Grapes of Wrath.

Always a warm pleasure to find good reads, and a well designed cover doesn't hurt either.

Marina Bay Sands

A night's stay at Marina Bay Sands made me realise I have been missing out quite a bit on the finer things in life these days. It ain't the decadence I'm talking about - but the loveliness of the evening breeze stroking the coconut trees to a sway, the vastness of the night sky, the exquisite architecture that keeps one seeing things anew.

My evergreen garden city

my home