counting.down.2012

you spent your last few hours of 2012 in monaco. had a long but not too elaborated dinner at one of the Italian restaurant facing the yacht harbor with the Christmas market as the setting and monte carlo casino a short walk away.

 you had a salad as starter

 a beef tartare as your main

and a cafe gourmet to finish...

 he has escargots

and a pizza as main.  the dinner took you to 10.30pm.

with some an hour and a half of 2012, you hike up the casino. The night isn't that cold at all, you walk around the casino compound, people start congregating, you're not the only one with idea to count down here. the setting is still very Christmas, so Christmasy that you mistakenly thought Christmas 2012 has yet to arrive, whilst you are here to usher off 2012 and welcome 2013.

he went away 30 min before midnight, you stood here, while people watching, you also recall your life in 2012. your clearly remember that last year, this time you were anxious and worried about your health. trying to combat a verdict of surgery and seeking the second opinion in asia.

today, you stand here giving thanks for the better life post the surgery. it isn't that hard when you know that God is in control. you just need to let go and let God. you stand here giving thanks to God, knowing Him is the best thing that ever happened in your life. your life is complete, albeit some physical absence but the love of Christ surpass everything and right at this moment you know your life is complete with Jesus. you may not be the happiest person in the world but you have the joy that the world cannot give yet God has given that to you.

you finished 2012 well, live your purpose and had your breakthrough, even though it may not be a big ground breaking breakthrough, it's indeed a year of breakthrough for you.

and now watching the firework right here, in this square, you are ready for 2013 - the year of maximization. you give thanks to God for all you have and the fact is you don't have everything, but you choose to love what you have, and that is a simple act to live a maximum life.
you may not pop a champagne here but you stood here watching the firework live and observe the great finale of the firework. right here, at this moment with your honey, is all you want. thank you Jesus for 2012!

happy new year!

welcome the year of maximization!

escape.to.the.sun

on the sixth day of Christmas, you escape to the south, to avoid the destructive fireworks in lowland.  you discovered a new cartoon mode of photography from your handphone, and kinda love the picture portraits in comic style....

it's only a less than 2 hours flight journey, there's vast different in temperature.

you fast forward the winter and jump straight into spring. yes, a very welcome and temperament weather. sunny too!

it took you awhile to get use to the winding road, narrow and high cliff  which in turn offers you the breathing scenery of beaches, mountains and villages.

villefranche-sur-mer, a lovely secluded sandy beach in a serene backdrop. quaint and peaceful.

beaulieu-sur-mer where you lodge, a yacht haven with cliff as backdrop...

this is where you're going to be for the next few days...

fourth.day.of.Christmas

on the fourth day of Christmas, you went to a museum in rotterdam. it's a good way to spend some time together in the gray and drizzling day. weather has turned a little colder but still mild for this time of the year.

 the road to van eyck, a special exhibition about a dutch artist (?) whom no one knows when he was born or where exactly he was born... but his arts is evolutionary in 14th century on how he visualized and depicted light...

 this cannot be a cherry blossom or almond tree but it's beautiful out there in the court yard. it reminds you of japan, oh, tokyo, you seems so far away...

 still have no appetite, this is what you had for lunch, two slices of raisin bread with dutch old cheese...

you like the table deco, the amarylis bulbs on an old wood...

third.day.of.christmas

on the third day of Christmas, your true love brought you out for a family dinner. with your MIL around, it has got to be an asian restaurant.

well, east meets west at least. this is probably the largest wok restaurant in the lowland with food to cater for all appetite and taste to suit everyone...

you start your dinner at 5pm which was early to you. this must have been the fourth or fifth time you ate at this mega wok restaurant, frankly speaking either you still don't have the appetite due to the cold or you have lost interest with the vast of food and choices this restaurant offers.

you didn't eat much but the amount probably represent the most you ate during the festive season.  Some salmon sashimi, a lamb chop, a sole fish, some crabs and a plate of yang chun mien (阳春面).  at the busiest prime time, when most of the patrons have arrived, you were literally chock to death as you are sitting relatively close to the woks. alas you have to escape the smoke by going away momentary.

set that aside, its the family get together that you cherish...

boxing.day

on the second day of Christmas, you're feeling much better today for sure. you went to bed without dinner last night, well you ate one bun served in the snack box from church.

you sliced the Dresden stollen that you bought from dusseldorf last weekend.

 it's great to go with rum butter or even good just eat it as it is. you just dislike the dutch version when almond paste is added.

 you have been drinking lemon tea with honey just to soothe your throat and fight the flu....

you remember your friend gave you a jar of lime soak in salt brine and that's exactly what you need after a big jar of lemon tea. you made two pitcher with 3 lime and a little of the salted brine. it was good, certainly a good rescue to your coarse throat.

you have been drinking the whole day and now you don't have sore throat anymore and  not even  rely on paracetamol.

you remove the bones from the turkey, boil a pot of soup with the turkey bone. they are mellow and flavorful at stock. you almost didn't add any season as the leek and bay leaf already good to enhance the flavor.

wanting to have a creamy turkey in a pot with puff pastry but knowing that you still don't have strong appetite, you just made a bowl of penne in turkey soup top with shredded turkey meat. it's delicious, soothing to your palate.

you have energy to bake a genoise, rolled it up with chestnut cream and whipped cream and turn it into a buche de noel. perhaps you have chilled your chocolate ganache too long, you find it really difficult to pipe. energy consuming as well. the result is not very pretty to your sight, it's hard to create the wood or log texture.

you had it for tea and find it too sweet and too rich. may be you still have a weak appetite today. perhaps you will like it tomorrow.
and yes, you are reading for your next destination.

merry.christmas

you amazed at yourself that you can still whisk up a Christmas lunch under such condition.

 he helped to do all the other stuff, except cooking.  so the table is set and ready for the feast.  still awaiting for guests to arrive...

 a simple english style Christmas lunch with your SIL and family, just the five of you, so it's easy and nothing too complicated....

 the wine is toasted, white sparking resling wine.... good to accompany the meal.... ribena in sparkling water and lime. something that you grew up with but yet so unfamiliar for the dutch food culture. you nephew distaste the drink that you have to serve him cola instead...

a store bought porky pie from borough market.  it's an English Christmas lunch. something that your SIL and BIL are not accustom to.

beef wellington wrapped in Italian prosciutto, minced mushroom in sherry sauce and a generous layer of french foie gras. 

 there's serious complexity of taste going on there... and the beef is just rightly pink, phew!!

sprouts and pumpkin as vegetables but you're either too carried away or busy with eating that you thought you took a photo of your colorful pumpkin and sprout dish, but you obviously forgotten about taking a photo.

you roast a turkey too, a small one just around 2+kg enough for 4 adults and a kid.  this is the photo of the left over...

the stuffing with quinoa, walnut and other basic stuffing ingredients and some photos that you roast in the bed of turkey...

you didn't serve your dessert as the sponge cake for buche de noel were broken. You shouldn't try new recipe and should have use your tried and true genoise cake. you have time to bake another one but the oven is occupied the whole morning.  so you serve a store bought spotty dick with brandy sauce. it's a very tiny portion since every one is full from the meal.

Christmas isn't Christmas without a celebration at church with your brothers and sisters in Christ. you're suppose to translate tonight but have to call it off because of your cough, husky voice and sneezing nose... you bless the brother who took over the translation without any hesitation and complaint.

you're glad you made it to church tonight, so that your Christmas is complete not just with the worldly joyous eating, drinking and gifting but yours is complete because you embrace Jesus in your heart and you took time to care for others albeit your health.
let's hope the flu and cold will leave you soon....

have a blessed Christmas everyone!

silent.night.chocolate.penne

you woke up feeling really bad. your throat is husky and itchy, your have light headache, you are shivering in cold and sneezing.
you had a lunch appointment with a family today but you have to call it off because you're not in the right condition at all.
you took two painkillers and doze off for the rest of the afternoon, yes, literally from 10 am to 6pm you were asleep, wrapped yourself in multiple layers.
you woke up at 6pm feeling a lot better, it's was like you just been through a battle, you feel tired but better, at least your mind is clear.
you're hosting a Christmas lunch tomorrow and he was worry if you have to cancel the lunch if you are not fit to cook.  worst thing is you already got the turkey, and nice cut of meat if the Christmas meal is called off someone will have to eat them another day.
thanked God you feel fitter, you manage to massage and season the turkey, prepare your beef wellington and even to an extend bake a cake for tomorrow. now the cranberry sauce is ready, the chocolate ganache for the cake is ready, the turkey just need to send to the oven for a two hour roast.

you are alone today since he has a night shift. so you whisked out a simple chocolate penne following nigella lawson's recipe if you are not wrong.  a one person dish, a combination of main and dessert.  you topped your chocolate penne with toast pecan and dried apricot, and a drizzle of butterscotch sauce. done! it's simple, it's festive to you.
it's silent night. may you feel the peace and the joy that the world cannot give.  the peace from God to man through His son Jesus, who commemorately born on 25th december.
have a blessed Christmas!

canard.l'orange

you woke up feeling your throat is a little sore today. not a good sign and you try to combat it with lemon honey water, extra vitamin c dosage and citrus fruits.
you went to church anyhow because you have skipped last week and not feeling well is not an excuse. with your determination, you went and sing your heart out albeit your rusty and little sore throat. it's good to worship God and you certainly enjoying you time with God very much. He is Emmanuel - God with us, the very fact that Christmas is about the love of God being demonstrated by giving His begotten son-Jesus to be born on earth, as a gift to man.

 you cooked a french classic duck dish with a twist, since you are not roasting the whole dick but just a generous portion of duck breast for two.

it's not difficult and you follow your gut feeling about the caramelized orange sauce.
the duck was nicely done even though not all the sauce are caramelized. it has a lovely refreshing citrus aroma and go perfectly with celeriac and potato mash.
you enjoyed yours with a glass of red wine. it feels Christmasy even though there are 2 more days to go.
you are not feeling any better, in fact you voice is getting huskier, it's time to dive in and rest.