雨

今天气温下降
连续两天的下午都下一场大雨

雨季，似乎快来临了

APPRECIATION

Way overdue.  Cookies for all the wonderful neighbours who extended a helping hand to my family in one way or another when life presents its challenges.  I'm grateful for you.

Saying thanks.  My way.

I must've made David Lebovitz’s Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies a zillion times. Over the years I’ve tweaked his recipe and made it mine. Everyone goes gaga over these cookies. Time and again my co-workers proclaimed them “lethal”.

Consider yourself warned.

SALTED BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES 

Adapted from this recipe by David Lebovitz 

Makes 24 cookies

115 grams salted butter, at room temperature 

85 grams light brown sugar 

100 grams granulated sugar (or 70 grams caster sugar)

1 large egg, at room temperature 

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

180 grams all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel (or whatever flaky sea salt you have in your pantry)

200 grams coarsely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate 

1 cup toasted nuts, coarsely chopped 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or by hand, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar just until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the beaten butter until combined, then mix in the chopped chocolate (including any chocolate dust) and the chopped nuts. 

Cover and chill the batter until firm. (I like to let it rest overnight.)

To bake the cookies, preheat your oven at 180 degrees C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Form the cookie dough into rounds about the size of a large unshelled walnut (about 30 - 32 grams). Place the mounds evenly spaced apart on the baking sheets, and press down the tops to flatten them so they are no longer domed and the dough is even. 

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet midway during baking, until the cookies look about set, but are not browned. Remove from the oven and quickly tap the top of each with a spatula, then return to the oven for 2 to 5 more minutes, until the tops of the cookies are light golden brown. 

Leave the cookies in the baking sheets for about 2 minutes to firm up a bit, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

THE CARVER: A HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

Too funny not too share!  Happy Halloween, everyone.

想旅行！

希望明年能有机会出门。

50 SHADES OF GREY

The haze is back, and with a vengeance too.  I'm all teary eyed.

PSI: 260.  Will it breach 400 like it did back in 2013?

It's a holiday and I'm keen to have my parents to try out the still fairly new London Fat Duck.  This morning they took one look outside the window and needed no convincing to remain indoors.  So I strapped on my mask and dived into the smog.  

The restaurant opened at 11AM.  I waddled in at 11:05AM to find the place packed, and a gaggle waiting to be let it.  Despite the bustle, the service was pretty decent.  I managed to place my order for takeaway at 11:11, picked it up at 11:41 and arrived home at 12PM sharp.   Mission accomplished.

It was exceptionally tasty London Roast Duck Noodle (S$7.80) and crackling on the Pork Belly (S$13.80) was to die for.  Well worth the dive into the haze earlier on.