Blueberry Hazelnut Bars

Ok so you know in my last post I talked about graduation and leaving university and all those excuses for not updating for the past month - well I'm going to have to talk about that again because I made these for the last meal I had people over for.  It was a rainbow themed potluck where I assigned everyone a color and so there were green salads, sauteed carrots, tomato pasta etc etc.  It was awhile ago so I actually don't remember everything i made, but I remember these and they were soo good.  I know it seems like I say this about everything I cook, and it's obnoxious, but I honestly only say it when it's exceptional (ok I see why my dad thinks I'm arrogant). The original recipe was from BBC GoodFood, and it was a raspberry coconut almond thing, but I like blueberries and hazelnuts.  This is making me miss Scotland because the berries are just not as good here in Italy in the summer *sigh*. 

Orange and Walnut Brittle

Okay okay okay, this is what happened in the last month -- I finished my exams, I had time off to do nothing and I didn't cook because I..don't know!  And then I graduated with a big proper ceremony with Latin and bagpipes, and I had a grad ball where I took 198 selfies and I have just left St Andrews.  It's funny, to think that I was a baby and complained and complained and complained nonstop for so long, right now it's kind of sad.  It's where I essentially grew up, as strange as it sounds seeing that I've only spent four years there.  I am not going to get all sentimental.  Yesterday, after saying goodbye to two good friends, I went to the supermarket and upon discovering that they ran out of raspberries, I cried.  On a side note, I'm so glad it's berry season here in Scotland.

But yea.  So that's that.  University's done.  My friends are going all over the place but no matter where they are, some of them I will keep in touch with and with some I won't, even if they've been one of my best friends in these years.  I know it sounds weird but unfortunately it's.. yea.  It sucks to say goodbye with "it's been great knowing you".  But hey I should start talking about this brittle.

A Brilliant Lentil Salad

I finished my last exam a week ago - my last ever university exam.  I know, aahh!  Actually, it's been pretty anti-climatic.  I don't technically graduate until late June, so maybe it'll feel different then.  But that explains the lack of posts hah.

Anyway, enough about me.  I really like this lentil salad, it may seem simple but it's brilliant.  The key is to dress the whole thing while it's still hot and letting that flavor infuse - if you can, make it a day in advance and keep it in the fridge - it's even better the next day.

And the herbs! So much herbs!  It makes a difference.  I'm  hopeless with growing plants and all that.  I can't keep any herb plant alive for more than 4 days.  I'm very neglectful, I forget to take care of it.  I remember once in middle school my Science teacher told the class to all get a plant and learn to grow and nurture it - so that we can learn to take care of children in the future.  My mint plant didn't survive for very long....

Chop Chop (Morrison St., Edinburgh)

Red chairs, bare wooden tables and plastic Chinese New year decorations everywhere – the place is so tacky it’s endearing. This is what a Chinese restaurant in China would look like, if it wasn’t for the Caucasian waiter it would all be incredibly authentic.

Being Chinese and having grown up in China, it’s a shame to witness this country butcher the cuisine with dreary meats bombarded with MSG, salt and sugar that’s then fried in reused oil and smothered in some thick generic sauce.

But Chop Chop is different -- it’s far from a culinary black hole like the rest of them. Claiming to be Edinburgh’s favorite Chinese restaurant, it specializes in Northern Chinese cuisine, and in particular, jiaozi – crescent shaped parcels that resemble dim sum and gyozas but have a slightly thicker dough which are either boiled or fried.  Chop Chop’s bright yellow plastic menu cards also feature simple home-style cooking dishes that may seem alien to the foreigner’s eye – egg and tomato stir-fry, fried aubergines, cucumber salad – typical Northern dishes that would be cooked at home. You won’t find your usual Singaporean fried noodles, wonton soup and black bean sauce at Chop Chop.

Sage Apricot Black Pepper Cornmeal Cookies

It's funny, while eating these I kept trying to remember how I normally had sage as a child and I struggled.  Sage is strong, bitter, earthy, lemony and dominating - and it's perhaps hard to find ingredients that stand up to this robust flavor.  In this country, pork and apple are the standard flavor affiliates with sage, but I didn't grow up with this. Often, certain flavors just hit me and they're evocative of a time and place and emotion but I couldn't quite put my finger on sage.