Goodbyes and A New Beginning

It's 2012. In fact, it's already the second month of the new year. I am quite ashamed that I have not updated this blog in months, if anyone is still reading this! I don't know if it's because I've lost theinspiration to churn out blog posts, or the fact that I've gotten lazy, or that I have quite a lot going on generally that has caused the silence. Probably a bit of all three.

In truth, I have not really eaten at many new restaurants or made anything spectacular that I feel worthy to grace these pages but I have been spending time with friends, going back to familiar joints and hosting simple meals at home. Why favour routine over novelty you may ask? These are people and places that have become dear to me overnthe last two and a half years and I wanted to have strong memories to hold onto as I prepare to leave London this month.



Yes, my time here has come to an end and I will definitely miss my life here - the lovely city, the even more beautiful countryside, the dear friends I have made, the food, my lovely apartment, and the list goes on and on. While I started blogging back in 2003, it was only when I moved here that I made it more public - writing more about food and a little about travel, and less about my day to day life. And what a ride it has been! The blog opened up many opportunities - I made friends in the food and design blogging circles, it allowed me to hone my skills in photography and styling, and explore other creative avenues. I doubt I would have done all this if I were back in Singapore.

Blogging aside, I've also made many good friends in the last 2 plus years, you know who you are. Thank you for being the surrogate family to me and providing that support network here in this faraway land. Food is always something that unites us, especially the Singaporeans away from home and I am happy we have shared many a good meal togetherand hope that there will be more in the future.

This marks the end of a chapter, and as cliche as it sounds, it also paves the way for a new one. I am not just leaving London, but also leaving my day job - one which I have had for the last 8 odd years (or 12 if you count from the day I signed on to the job). It has come to define me in a way, people identify me with this job and it is become part of who I am, being an ambassador of sorts for my country.

But I am finally taking that step to do something I love, and to continue the creative journey that I have begun in London. I am very excited (and scared!) about my new adventure and am thankful that Inwill be embarking on it with a couple of good friends made here. I don't really know what my life will be like in 3 months' time but hey, that's part of the fun right? I am not sure if I will continue this blog or move over to a new platform but stay tuned. More will be revealed in time and I hope you will be as excited as I am! Here's a little teaser for you, it'll be something to do with vintage interiors, design, food, styling and hopefully more!



Right now, while I can't wait to get back and get started properly on the new gig, I am sad to leave and will be treasuring every moment of this last month in London. Boy, am I glad February has an extra day this year :)

Exploding Dog

Back in the day when I first started blogging (way back in 2003!), this was something I had shared. explodingdog is a collection of drawings by Sam Brown, a really talented artist who draws these stick cartoon figures based on titles he receives. Anyone can submit a title and if it inspires him, he'll draw it. Now that there's twitter, facebook and whatever other social media, guess it makes it a lot more interactive!

I had almost forgotten about it until yesterday. It got me browsing through the website again and admiring all the new pictures (there's obviously a lot like 8 years' worth!). I thought I'd start sharing my favourite ones here. Today's drawing is a classic from 2003, when his style was a little simpler and cleaner (which I prefer actually) entitled "I have no idea what I'm doing". Enjoy!

i have no idea what i'm doing

 

Book Review: Perfection In Imperfection by Janice Wong

If you are a dessert aficionado and/or lover of beautiful cookbooks, you have to get Chef Janice Wong's first book, Pefection in Imperfection. This hand-stitched, hand-made book (every cover is hand-torn and stuck on) is the product of many hours of loving labour.

It contains recipes that form Janice's signature dishes featured at her 2am Dessert Bar, all beautifully shot and artistically directed. The recipes are not meant to be direct replications of her dishes, but more to teach techniques that can be applied to your own interpretations and inspire you to create your own versions. Even if you don't get around to the recipes, the book is a visual treat for the eyes!

The book was launched a couple of weeks back in Singapore in a warehouse space filled with edible installations created by Janice such as marshmallow icicles, sugar crystal corals and rocks, edible moss, and fruit puree paintings. You can watch her interviews and see the launch here on Razor TV:

Part 1

 

 Part 2

 

 Part 3

 

I'm glad to have such a talented friend and she never ceases to amaze me with her energy and creativity. Follow her crazy adventures on her blog, and go get the book now on her Perfection in Imperfection website!

A Feature in Heart Home Magazine

I mentioned in one of my last posts that I was asked to contribute an article to a soon-to-be launched interiors magazine Heart Home Mag. Well, it's just been launched! And it looks amazing, there's so much great content by the creative community gathered by the founders Arianna, Carole and Daniel. I'm so honoured to be part of this inaugural issue!

The feature I contributed is of course one on food. I made, styled and shot the summer berry tarts and also various flavours of fromage blanc ice cream. The shoot was inspired by an artist's atelier. I wanted to highlight the vibrant colours of the berries and to make the food look like edible paintings.


I've posted my favourite shots that I styled and took here, as not all pictures could be included in the post. The recipes on how to make the tarts and a fromage blanc ice cream is over on Heart Home. Do go over to  Heart Home Mag and have a read!

Guest Post on 6 Bittersweets - Pink Wedding Macarons

Some of you may know I was back in Singapore recently for a wedding of my close friend J. Other than bridesmaid duties, I had also offered to make some of her bridal flowers (reception tables, bridal bouquet and bridesmaids' bouquets) and put together a dessert table for her lunch reception. It was all very fun albeit a little hectic, flying in from London with all my recently collected vintage china, sourcing flowers and ingredients in Singapore and having to make a large batch of macarons, rice krispies treats and meringues. Oh and arranging the flowers, did I already mention that? :)



I had the pleasure of meeting up with Xiaolu from 6 Bittersweets and she kindly took some (amazing) photos and also lent a hand at making the desserts. This was the first time I demonstrated macarons to an audience of more than 1 and I must say it's quite fun! I've guest posted this fun experience, with a photo tutorial, over on 6 Bittersweets.

Xiaolu has very generously decided to give away her copy of i <3 macarons by Hisato Ogita to one lucky reader. To enter, comment on the post at 6 Bittersweets, follow 6 Bittersweets or Heaven in a Wild Flower via email, reader, and/or Twitter (@6bittersweets or @heavenwildfleur). Full details and terms over at 6 Bittersweets. So hop on over to read all about it as well as to visit Xiaolu's amazing blog!

The Cult of Iced Gem Biscuits aka Biskut Ais Jem

Source: Khong Guan

Sparked off by the stream of nostalgia brought on by Plusixfive's latest post, and my horrible memory never being able to remember the name of these little biscuits, I set off on a little investigative googling mission to find out more about these old school sweets. Let's take a trip down the halls of history shall we?

Source: Huntley & Palmers Collection Museum

The real name is Iced Gems and they were first made in 1850s (the biscuit part) by biscuit manufacturers Huntley and Palmers in Reading, Berkshire. Like many inventions, they were an accidental discovery as these biscuits shrunk and came out smaller than their intended size during a biscuit experimentation (kinda Willy Wonka huh)! The makers started selling them as Gems and subsequently added the icing bit in 1910 and as they say, there was no turning back. After a whole series of mergers/sell-offs, the production of these little guys now come under what is known as Jacob's today. The Huntley and Palmers brand today is a newly established biscuit company who bought the brand over from Danone when they sold it. You can read about the fascinating history chronicling the rise and fall of the biscuit giant here (and visit the museum in Reading!) and the history of Iced Gems on this website.

It is interesting to see how different people from all corners of the world identify with these little biscuits. Many people in Singapore and Malaysia (as did I) probably thought these were indigenous to our part of the world, often referred to as local old school snacks, since many of us grew up eating them. But if you think about it, it is highly unlikely that the fishermen of Malaya ate biscuits back then in the 1700s before the Brits came along and colonised our part of the world. They were probably munching on kuehs :) until the British introduced, along with so many other wonderful things of the western world, their tea, biscuits, cream crackers and of course, these precious gems.

Source Left to right: Jacob's Iced Gems (UK), Khong Guan's Fancy Gems (Singapore), Rich Garden/Khong Guan's Iced Gems (Philippines)

They are locally known in Singapore/Malaysia as Biskut Ais Jem (malay transliteration), some also call them Belly Button biscuits, and probably more often than not, the terribly long name of ''those little biscuits with bits of colourful icing on them''. The local cousin of Iced Gems differ from the British originals in a few aspects - colour, taste and pointy-ness. Those found in Singapore have bright neon coloured icing of green, pink, yellow and white, compared to the muted colours of the Jacob's ones (though I wonder what colour Huntley & Palmers made them originally). The Singaporean ones are also far more pointy than Jacob's from what I see in pictures (see below for comparison). I haven't actually tasted the ones in UK myself, but according to Gourmet Traveller, the Jacob's ones are not as sweet (probably reduced sugar for health reasons here), icing is not as hard and biscuits are more crumbly. I shall do a taste test but I'm quite certain I'll prefer the one I grew up with!

Left to right: Singaporean Khong Guan Iced Gem biscuits compared to Jacob's

Do a quick search online for Iced Gems and you will find that there are many people who have fond childhood memories of eating them and sharing their stories on different forums. Everyone has a different method of eating them. Some eat the biscuits first and save the icing to savour at the end, others would bite off the icing first and throw away most of the biscuits (me!) or I'm sure some of you just chomp the whole thing down, perhaps even several at a time! I still remember how I loved to go to the corner shop stocking giant tins of biscuits where you can pick and choose by weight. But sadly, the local biscuit man in your wet market is probably a vanishing trade in today's chain supermarket world. Khong Guan also makes and sells them in commercial packaging and there's even a Facebook page dedicated to them.

Iced Gems don't just exist in edible form! They have clearly become a part of our social history, triggering off precious childhood memories every time someone comes across these biscuits. Like many icons, they have been turned into art, decorative items, jewellery etc. These are just some I've come across, aren't they cute??

(1) Push pins from Koalabonheur on Dewanda

(2)Fabric replicas from British Cream Tea;

(3) Light switch cover from Candy Queen Design;

And some people have been crazy enough to create a ginormous version of it! Sadly lacking is a proper Iced Gem Biscuits recipe, maybe one day I'll get around to experimenting or if you have one, please do share.

Source: Pimp That Snack

It is just amazing to contemplate that the world (alright, maybe just a few countries) being united by a common love and history of iced gem biscuits. So far I've only managed to track down followings in Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines (which isn't even a British colony!) and UK. I'd be interested to find out if these were also common in India and other British colonies. If you know, do leave a comment!

Long live the United Colours of Iced Gems Biscuits!

All The Greatest Things!

How has everyone's summer been? I've been up to all sorts of things, but that's not really a good excuse for my absence is it? I put it down to Twitter addiction, busy travel schedule and plain laziness :) There are some pretty exciting projects I've been involved in that I can't wait to share! Some will have to wait but will divulge a couple of things here.

For those who follow the online UK decor scene, you'll know about Heart Home magazine, an exciting online magazine that will be launched in September! It promises to be a collection of inspiring, creative and beautiful interiors and design treasures with a focus on the UK. I'm terribly honoured to be a part of this, and will be contributing a food article to the inaugural issue. Very excited! It took me  a crazy amount of time and effort to bake, style, photograph and write up just one article, it's no wonder I post so infrequently on my blog (tho I should think about posting much shorter photo logs). I can't how much work my lovely friends Arianna, Carole and Daniel over at HHM are up to launch the mag. Good luck guys!

I've also just spent one week taking a floral design course at the Covent Garden Academy of Flowers and it was a wonderful experience! The course I took was  Summer School I, where basics of flower arrangement are taught, along with other technical skills like wiring, contemporary design and structural construction. We made hand-tied bouquets, corsages, table arrangements and larger structures. My favourite must be mossing up a wreath from scratch. Now what does that mean, you may ask? I didn't know before this week either! We take a simple copper wire ring frame and basically wrap bundles of moss around it until it's fat and thick! The resulting wreath is what you see hung on the ladder in the pictures, isn't it lovely?



We got to take what we made home, which means my flat was filled with lovely flowers like a garden :) If you have any interest in flowers at all, I would highly recommend Covent Garden Academy of Flowers. They have a variety of classes on different subjects for various skill levels - from casual 1 day courses to 4-month long intensive courses for those wishing to make a career out of floristry. And other than the skills you'll pick up, it was also a really relaxing and fun experience being at the Academy that differentiates them other places. Gillian and her team are the sweetest and nicest people, often pampering us with tea and cakes while we work hard on our arrangements. Gosh, I really miss my time there already!



I'm going to get more practice next week when I help put together some bouquets and decorations for my friend's wedding in Singapore. Stay tuned for pictures! Speaking of pictures, this week I'm starting a photography e-course run by the amazing Christina Greve of Divas And Dreams. What I love about her work is not just its ethereal dream-like quality, but the fact that she's very encouraging and teaches a lot about positivity and mindset in addition to technical skills.

So yes, there should be a lot more activity on this blog in the coming weeks, thanks for being patient and reading if you're still checking this blog!