Seven years on,

I must tell you, I am very lucky.

Very very lucky to be part of family who is so loving and caring, who always welcomes me with open arms and kind heart.

There has been some tough times though.

Being broken hearted and full of uncertainties of the future ahead of me, I wasn't all there when I first met Toby. 

We fought with frustration. 

We screamed. 

We hit the brick walls trying hard to understand our differences. 

We cried desperately wanting it to work. 

We cried desperately for our lost spirits, hoping that we could be there for each other.

I cannot believe we are still together, you know.

Still, to these date, I often pinch myself thinking, gosh... we came this far.

Along the way though, we had, and very luckily so, a family, the unit who wasn't afraid to tell us, guide us and fix us to find our way.

They were there to support us, but never shy to shout at us to teach us that understanding was only ever meant to be through the loving heart, NOT through the calculated head.

Seven years has gone by with many tears, we laugh.

We cry with laughter knowing we've come far. 

From selfish little creatures to those who inspires each other to make better of ourselves, I guess we have come far.

I guess we have grown strong.

I guess we have learnt to love the way we are.

The Ledbury inspired bloody orange vodka sorbet with rosewater and lychee

1pint of blood orange juice (about 8 medium oranges)

100g sugar

150g lychee (I use tined)

50ml rosewater

50ml vodka

handful of mint

Place blood orange juice, sugar and rosewater into the medium sauce pan and simmer them until sugar is dissolved.

You now add lychee, vodka and springs of mint to the pan and blend them until smooth.

Pass them through sieve and put them in the freezer safe container and freeze.

After the first hour, take it out from the freezer and give it a good whisk and freeze it again for another hour. Give it a good stir or whisk again and agin every now and then.

But if you've just enjoyed too many glasses of wine and forgot about it all until the next morning like I have done this time, don't panic.

Just break the sorbet into reasonable pieces and put them in the blender and blitz them until it breaks down and forms smoother consistency.

Put them back in the freezer till you need them.

Great amuse buche or light cleansing dessert.

Martini stirred not shaken

Click here to see how it is done.

Everyone wants to be recognised...

6 cheerful glasses

I think I am nearly there.
Okay, my hair smells a little, I feel like I've been brined in Indian spiced water for the last 2 days and every corner of our home sweet home, scented like any good curry house in town, honestly, It's got to be ready. 
Minus the one element though.


I am no where near ready.
As I said, I need a good bath, preferably with lots of essential bath oil poured into it, hair properly washed in the running water and yes, I confess, in this state, I do need to scrub up a little. 
Followed by good strokes of blusher and mascara, you never know, I might feel and look, more like human.


This is of course, to welcome my guests.


Since appearing on our dinner party menu as a regular occurrence, cocktails have become our repertoire. 
And now we hold cocktail party.

P started off by accidentally smashing a glass for the opening of the night.
L redeemed her hubby's action by knocking up gorgeously refreshing Hendricks Flower.
N perfected Absolutely Fabulous for his lovely wife V and the rest of us.
Toby rustled up Bramble and we drank thinking of lovely S who unfortunately had to make an early exit.
The list goes on...


And I, served up samosas with vegetables or smoked mackerel for starters. 
For the main, slowly braised lamb curry in rich almond sauce, chicken curry in mild tomato sauce, aubergine with fresh coconut, okra cooked in tomato marsala, saffron pilau rice and selections of nann and chapatti bread.
Moscow mule jelly was our palate cleanser before rounding off the meal with green tea cheesecake served with blackberry coulis.

Samosas
makes about 20 in total


with vegetables 
2 new potatoes, boiled and cubed
1 carrot, cubed
1 garlic, crushed and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
handful of peas
1/2tsp turmeric
1tsp curry powder
vegetable stock

handful of coriander, chopped

handful of mint, chopped

5 feuilles de brick pastry sheets (you can use ordinary filo pastry as well)
salt and pepper
vegetable oil


Start by gently frying onion, carrot and garlic with pinch of salt and pepper in little bit of oil until slightly tender. Add potatoes, peas, turmeric, curry power into the pan and pour the stock enough to cover the vegetables.


When all liquid is absorbed and vegetables are tender, take them off the heat and leave it to cool.


Once cooled, cut the pastry sheets in long strip.
Place spoonful of mixture onto the corner of the strip and roll into samosa shape by folding the right corner to the left diagonally. This should make a small triangle.
If you are not very confident to shape it as you go along, think of folding the edge of the strip to make a small triangular shape. Then fold again twice to resemble a corn following its natural flow. When you have the corn, just fill in with your mixture and keep folding the rest away.


Now, shallow or deep fry them in the oil until crisp.
I tend to shallow fry them for couple of mins on each side in advance and crisp them up in the oven (200º) for about 15mins just before serving. 


with smoked mackerel
1 new potatoes, boiled and cubed
1-2 smoked mackerel fillets, flaked (not too small)
1 garlic, crushed and chopped

1 chilli, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

handful of peas

1/2tsp turmeric

1tsp curry powder

1 lime juice

handful of mint, chopped

handful of coriander, chopped

5 feuilles de brick pastry sheets

salt and pepper

vegetable oil

Method is exactly the same as vegetable one.

Just add chilli, potatoes and smoked mackerel when onions softened. Lime juice goes in nearly the end.

We chatted the night away.
Room full of jokes and laughter, stories of our lives carried on.
Existence of our living and being touched upon our spirits.
With our belly full and discoveries of our sense of identity, we were all cheerful souls.

Very cheerful souls...

and... the bar is open

I can't remember how and when exactly Toby and I started wondering around this adventurous world of mixologist. 
I suppose we were always an almost ready made candidates who just needed a little encouragement. Given the chance of being equipped with appropriate tools and booze, it was only a matter of time for one of us to shake up something or at least, try.


I think that was what happened...


Good old shaker was given, then 'a little black book' (Play boy cocktail guide or something).
Toby in his element beaming with joy, he did knock up something which was pleasant.
He became mildly obsessed.
He wanted to have all the liquors on the shelves, then it was right glasses to treat every individual cocktails with respect and then it was a new shaker. A proper bad boy shaker. 
He now became confident and he wanted play with the bigger boys!


I adore him when he is passionate. 
He is quite gorgeous when he becomes this big kid trapped in a man's body. 


So, he had it! 
The Boston shaker.


The thing that I had to remember and be supportive of was, okay, it is him after all, does all the hard work. 
And I, just have to sit there with a big smile on my face whilst cheering him up on all of his impressive actions he mastered over the years and when it is presented in front of me, just drink it!
How lovely.

I am educated now.
Being educated with his passion and the knowledge, I share his love for this joyous world of mixing. I may never read his now 'the very big black book' (Cocktails #8 by Diffordsguide)  like he does, but I will always look after our booze corner as long as he welcomes me to his '6 o'clock' bar.




#8 Whisky sour
Click here to see how it is done.

Couple of paracetamols and popcorn chicken

Waking up with sore head and disturbed tummy is never much of fun. 
It seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm quite good at being carried away too, which doesn't always help the situations.
But don't we all have those moments you just wish to stay with you for a little longer?
I feel... if I have another drink, it might just stay that way.


But all is not lost, surely.
Knowing it was all worth a headache, couple of paracetamols will have to do.
I'm still standing and we're still laughing. 
It was all a good fun. Thanks B. and, B.

Something substantial was a must! Thought it had to be something naughty to settle a teeny weeny bit delicate myself. 

It tasted good. All worth of an effort. 

I am good now.

I can face the world feeling quite alright.

Then, 'the 6 o'clock' came.

We used to call it beer o'clock. 

It felt mean to be called just that. Somewhat of less generous for Toby's loving gesture and effort. 

'The 6 o'clock' sounded much more suited for us, creatures of habit.

And every Sunday, 6 o'clock is exciting!

Smokey, jammy and a bit tangy. Breakfast club, We have got it just right!

Tori Kara Age with sweet potato chips

4 chicken thighs deboned and cut into chunks

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp mirin

1 tsp grated ginger

1 clove garlic, grated

1/4 tsp curry powder 

1 egg, lightly beat

3 tbsp corn flour

salt and pepper

1 sweet potato, cut into thin wedges

frying oil

In a large bowl, put chicken chunks, dried oregano, soy, mirin, grated ginger, garlic and curry powder. Season them with little bit of salt and pepper and leave them for 30 minutes to marinade.

Once ready, combine egg and corn flour into chicken.

All you need to do now is, to fry the chicken chunks and sweet potato chips until golden in very hot oil.

I like to fry the chips first. And usually I fry things twice to make them extra crispy.

Drain excess oil and serve them with light soy dip*.

* soy dip

2 tbsp soy

2 tbsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 lime juice 

#8 Breakfast Club

Click here to see how it is done. 

We substituted white rum with dark rum.