Travel Memories

As we spend yet another week indoors, I wonder if things will ever get back to "normal", or what the new normal will look like. I've spent the past 10+ years wandering around the globe, thinking about my next destination, but I'm not sure if travel for pleasure will exist in the next year or two. Obviously this is of low priority at the moment because, you know, pandemic.

I've been thinking about my previous adventures and for whatever reason, some moments stand out more than others. Some random memories to share:

On a restaurant rooftop in Istanbul with the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia on the horizon while the call to prayer echoed around the city.

The delight of riding a scooter on Cat Ba Island and the beauty of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam.

Christmas Eve in Kuala Lumpur: people on the streets spraying cans of fake snow at each other in 30 degrees C weather.

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Life in the Time of Corona

This time last year, I was in the Yucatan, swimming in cenotes and experiencing how Mexicans celebrate Easter.

Then my grandma passed away.
Then I got so sick that I had to be hospitalized.

This Easter, we're all stuck indoors, doing our best to social distance and flatten the curve.

I've been reflecting on the past year and while it hasn't been the greatest, I am:

• Thankful for the health of my family and friends.
• Grateful to the front-line health care providers for fighting in the trenches. The highlight of my day is at 7:30 p.m., when people in my neighbourhood stand on their balconies to cheer for these heroes.
• Appreciative to the essential services workers who can't work from home because the rest of us rely on them.

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Things that currently spark joy in my life:

• Home Cooking: a podcast by Samin Nosrat (of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat) and Hrishikesh Hirway (of The West Wing Weekly, a must for West Wing fans). It is delightfully full of puns.
• The return of The Good Fight: a show that is criminally underrated and even better than it's predecessor, The Good Wife.
• The Bon Appetit YouTube channel: Claire Saffitz's Gourmet Makes is my favourite - the Pocky episode blew my mind. The latest episodes are quarantine-related since they're housebound like everyone else.

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Yes, it sucks being at home all day just as the warm weather is approaching but this meme puts it into perspective:

Your grandparents were called to war.
You're being called to sit on your couch.
You can do this.

Marcella Hazan's Bolognese Sauce

What a strange and scary time we live in.

Thoughts running through my head:

• If I'm practicing social distancing but not everyone else is doing their part, can we stop the spread?
• How can people be so selfish, re: those who continue to head to the park or beach or throw coronavirus parties?
• Will things ever get back to "normal"?

When I can't read the news anymore, I turn to cooking for comfort. The plus side of being stuck at home is the leisure of trying out recipes, things I've been meaning to make but never got around to.

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Matcha Madeleines

It took me another eight years before I used my madeleine pan again. I find this bizarre because it's not that hard to make madeleines: stir dry ingredients into wet, let batter rest for several hours or overnight, then bake. The only tricky thing is to grease and flour the pan well to ensure the madeleines don't stick and retain their shell shape. 

I left the madeleines too long in the oven and they were a bit darker than expected, though nothing a bit of icing sugar can't hide. I was also too lazy to place the batter in a bag but don't follow my rule-breaking ways; it will make your life easier to pipe the batter from a bag and into the pan.

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Vinegar Coleslaw

The humble cabbage.

A vegetable that can do so much and yet is often overlooked. If Eater is right, cabbage will have its moment this year.

I love a good coleslaw - hold the mayonnaise, please. I'm not a fan of mayo and would prefer it kept out of my food, with the exception of sandwiches.

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