Onwards and upwards!

Apologies for not updating my blog for so long! I guess things get put on the shelf when you're trying to finish and hand in your thesis. Well, the good news is...I DID IT! IT'S IN! I submitted The Beast on Tuesday 12 July - having spent an absolute fortune on printing and binding. The actual submission was ridiculously unceremonious, not that I expected there to be a fanfare (with these budget cuts and all), but a congratulations wouldn't go amiss in the Academic Services Enquiries Desk (named and shamed). I was insulted when I was asked whether I wanted a receipt: 'YES I WANT A BLOODY RECEIPT, I JUST SPENT 4 YEARS WRITING THAT'. Of course I was too polite to say it out loud. I just gave him evils instead. So, what now? I recently received the date for my viva (a verbal exam on my thesis), but this isn't until November so I guess the job hunt saga/search for life enrichment programme continues until then. I have been trying to 'rest' although I don't think I remember what this means, or what it entails. 


I have been getting back into reading lately - of the non-academic variety, and one of my recent-ish reads (okay, this was probably about 6 months ago) was Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters. Having read Fingersmith, I was eager to see if the other books were as good. Although Tipping the Velvet was okay (don't mention that horrific dramatisation on TV, that basically cut out half the book) it still wasn't as good as Fingersmith. However, I finished the book with a real craving for...oysters. The story focuses on the lead character Nan, or Nancy, from Whitstable, Kent (on the east coast). The way that Sarah Waters describes the hustle and bustle of Nan's family's oyster restaurant - the sounds and smells from the cooking, made me really want to eat oysters. As I was reading the opening and closing pages,  I could literally smell and taste the salty, slurpy morsels. 


So, whilst on a visit to my friend - and fellow TTV reader - Emma's abode, I jokingly mentioned that one day we should visit Whitstable in honour of Nan. Low and behold, the Whitstable Oyster Festival was taking place from the 23 July! So, what did we do? We went to Whitstable to scoff oysters! Now, I have to say that this was incredibly brave of Emma as she'd never eaten an oyster in her life. I am glad to report that she is now a fellow oyster slurper!

Man shucking our oysters

Nom nom

Whitstable at twilight

We also ventured to Wheelers Oyster Bar  which is the quaintest oyster establishment ever (not that I've been to that many). The restaurant itself had a tiny seafood bar (seats about 5 people max.) and a little restaurant which seats about 12. I know, micro business or what? The service was lovely, and they answered all of our random questions. I tried brown shrimp - which delicious by the way- and a hake dish with some Kentish paella! I felt completely virtuous for eating a week's worth of omega 3s in one sitting!

Wheelers (a bride was having her wedding pictures taken at the time!)

My yummy hake dish with Kentish paella

Of course a 'break' wouldn't be a break without some baking...Rachel and Vicki paid me a spontaneous visit the other weekend and my immediate reaction was 'ah, an excuse to bake something new'. This coupled with the anxiety of what to serve for breakfast, I decided that brioche would definitely be a winner. Dough = good. Butter = good. And I was right. It went down a treat with some sweet strawberry conserve. I used Rachel Allen's recipe which was easy to follow, apart from the actual assembly of the dough to get the classic brioche shape. Hence why mine look a little lop-sided. The loaf however, I was quite impressed with. I even got approval from an actual French national who said that 'you could sell this in France, just don't tell them that, er, you know...' 'that I've  had absolutely no training whatsover?' 'yes, and that you're not French'. Nuff said.

Brioche

Loaf of brioche

Things would not be complete without some cupcakes now, would they? Inspired by the ice cream man, I bring you Vanilla Dream Sundae and Strawberry Sundae! A yummy vanilla sponge topped with vanilla buttercream (with lots of vanilla bean paste - almost too much!) and strawberry-vanilla buttercream! I couldn't believe how ice-creamy they tasted!

Mmmm, creamy Vanilla Dream Cupcake

Hurrah for Strawberry Sundae!

I'll leave it at that for the moment. I have some exciting news in store some time this month so watch this space!

xxx

My Spaghetti Dad.

I know that Father’s Day was last weekend, but I was, er, too busy celebrating to write this then!

My dad. Oh where do I begin?  We are so alike in many ways, yet so different. When I was younger (pre-make up and tweezer days) people used to say that we were ‘biscuit impressions’ (old Chinese expression) of each other.  We’re obsessive when we get stuck into something, like the finer things in life (although often on a beer budget) and believe that if something should be done, it should be done properly - the old fashioned way. Geez, I even have his crazy eyebrows (over-plucked, but perfectly pencilled in versions I would like to add). However, throughout my teenage years we did not quite see eye-to-eye. I’m sure everyone can relate to this – the teenage years are hard enough without a really uncool dad there to cramp your style. For a few years we didn’t really ‘get’ each other, but I was busy trying to grow into my new semi-adult self. It wasn’t until I hit my twenties that I realised that we were in fact, from the same biscuit mould. 

(Dad and me - note my eyebrows will end up looking like his one day...)

Father’s Day is always a nightmare for me and my sister. What the frick do you get the man who already has everything? He literally has every piece of golf equipment going. Yes, even a Powerball (that he never uses). I was so close to buying him novelty covers for his clubs when I realised I’d run out of time…and money. So, a DIY present it was. My sister, being my baking side-kick, was nifty. She baked savoury muffins. Chorizo muffins. Mmmm. I, sticking to the food theme, made my dad a pasta picture a la my 5 year old self. The fact that I had no money for a real present had no bearing on this gift. None whatsoever. Plus, every parent loves a pasta picture right? Oh yes. Especially when it’s a portrait:

With an accompanying pasta card. (note I have blurred my age – I’m not encouraging futher internet stalking).

My dad’s reaction was kind of odd. I think he took the pictures a little too seriously! Apparently the portrait made him look too young (I didn’t have enough pasta for ALL of his wrinkles). Bless him, as always he was trying to be encouraging, almost as if he was trying to humour me – it’s this attitude of his that got me into art history in the first place. I can do whatever I want, be whatever I want, as long as a) I’m enjoying it and b) I can fund my own shoe habit. Let’s face it, if I was brought up in any other Chinese family I’d be an accountant/lawyer/doctor (of the medical sort) by now (god forbid). I’ll wait until the next recession before reconsidering my career options.

So this is a shout out to my dad and all the other dads out there who have to put up with crap from their daughters (from the ages of 13-20). You rock. Even if you are made out of pasta. 

Chari-tea Party Deluxe!

Japan is a place that is close to my heart. I love its kookiness, its cleanliness, and how the traditional sits right alongside the technological. I went there for the first time as a 6-year old and fell in love with Disneyland. I went there as a 26-year old and fell in love with Kyoto. I'll never forget my trip there - the smells, the noises, the food. It was such a culture shock to my system - I buzzed from it.

Osaka at dusk

All the sushi you'll ever want

When I heard about the earthquake in March, I was shocked. When the tsunami ensued, I was devastated. I could not believe what I saw before my eyes. Towns and cities flattened and everything washed away. Everything-gone. All of a sudden the trauma that I was experiencing with my thesis seemed insignificant in comparison to this humanitarian crisis. I felt compelled to do something. And what am I good at doing? Baking I guess. So I began to plan… for the CAKE SALE OF MY LIFE. Well, a vintage tea party actually. My chosen charity- the British Red Cross.

It was never going to be easy, I expected that, but the tea party followed 2 x 12+ hour days at work. I had one full day put aside to bake a whopping 20 varieties of cake - I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I have no idea why I chose 20. To be honest I would have gotten away with 10. But no, I am an over-achiever and what do over achievers do? Bake their asses off. Big time. The menu:

Cupcakes

‘The Triple C’ (Chocolate, Chocolate Chips and Cookie)

Red Velvet

Patriotic Vanilla

Apple Struesel

Cakes

Victoria Sponge Deluxe

Connie’s Procrastination Chocolate and Hazelnut Cake

Courgette Cake

Carrot Cake

Ginger Cake

Whoopie Pies

Chocolate

Lemon and Ginger

Meringue with chestnut filling

Others

Not-for-the-Faint-Hearted Rocky Road

Diddly Squats (like a rock cake, but better)

Scone with Jam and cream

Grasshopper Pie

Savouries

Sausage Rolls

Cheese Scones

Vegan

Cinnamon Rolls

Coconut and Lime Cake

I started baking at approx. 11am on the Saturday. 18 different cakes, a vat of cream cheese frosting and a broken Dualit handmixer later…I finally put down my palette knife at 1am. It was pretty epic, but the sight of all the cakes together did make me a little bit smug…

The cakes were displayed on my vintage plates (apart from my not-so-vintage cupcake tower) and 'customers' used my vintage side plates and cups and saucers. Tea was served from my vintage tea pot (okay, it was actually a coffee pot). I am a bit of a magpie and I do have an eclectic collection of random, mismatching china all found from charity shops or junk shops. I like to think that I'm rescuing them from a miserable life in the skip.

One thing that I have learnt from past experience is that you can never tell when, or how many people are going to actually turn up. So I was prepared for everyone to turn up at once. My, was I glad I did. Unfortunately at this point, I was so busy with serving, I didn't get a chance to take photos...but here are some action shots:

I did advise people to bring their own tupperware/tins for take out!

Don't worry, here's the real cake porn:

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake and Carrot Cake

Triple C Cupcakes

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Red Velvet Cupcakes

The Cupcake Tower

Meringue Whoopies

The Victoria Sponge Deluxe

*smug*

The tea party was a roaring success, even if I may say so myself! I've made £200 so far and I am still counting! I offered to send whoopie pies in the post (they travel surprisingly well!) so still awaiting some donations! Thank you to everyone who came and made the day what it was - I'll give a final figure when I've done all of my orders!

A big thank you to kick-ass fashion blogger Winnie who has included this tea party in her latest blog! She's got more pics too so go go go!

xxx