Happiness is a Sunday Roast

Happy Sunday! ❤️ Certainly nowadays I almost could not tell the differences between workdays and weekend anymore… but the days sure do fly by fast. I know many are missing their old family gatherings, but stay strong for now and certainly “we will meet again” just as Her Majesty said many weeks ago! ☺️

Speaking of family gatherings, a Sunday roast certainly spring to my mind! 😋 And one of my favourite things about it is the Yorkshire pudding. Now, I have always been intrigued to make my own Yorkshire puddings ever since I’ve seen them being done on Bake off. And finally, this week, I have made my first ever attempt! 😂

The recipe I used for my Yorkshire puddings is Mary Berry’s foolproof recipe on BBC Food (Link here👉 https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/yorkshire_pudding_69240) It’s much more straightforward than I thought it will be. I think one of the keys is to make sure the oil must be hot enough before pouring in the batter, so I was really pleased with how well-risen they turned out to be! 😍 Going off true Bake Off style (and I know it’s a controversial move 😂), I stuffed my Yorkshire puddings with mushy peas and a mushroom gravy, topped with a seared ribeye steak. 🥩 (I love steak! 🤤😚) It’s literally a roast dinner all in one bite! 😋

Why not give it a try? 😉

What Food Means to Me

Humans eat to survive. Is this why you eat though? For me, food is way more than a survival need. My most favourite things about food are the many memories and moments that come with each meal, and the love the cooks can bring to people’s hearts. The reason why I love baking is to be able to similarly share and bring this joy to other people.

Yesterday, my friends and I arranged a surprise dinner for a friend who would be soon moving to a different country. My two friends put together a beautiful album of our memories for her, whilst, being me (the token baker in our group lol), I decided to make a strawberry and cream cake for the occasion.

After a hefty steak dinner, my friends and I ended up munching this cake away whilst sitting by some corner seats inside the shopping mall. (LOL to the restaurant who tried to charge us for bringing our own cake in.) We laughed and talked as we tucked in. Such times like that are ones that are the most beautiful, simple moments in life. And more importantly, whenever I see and taste these foods again, I will always remember the joy and happiness that it was associated with on this very day.

What happy memories are you going to create with food today? 😊

Some Like It Hot Hot Hot

I think I may be on a meat and grill obsession at the moment, since my lunch choice today meant that I obviously had not had enough in the barbecue yesterday. Taking the bus to Angel, I visited a Japanese steak and sushi bar called Hot Stone that had been plaguing my social media in the past month (and tormenting me with delicious food! 😂)

I tried to visit one Sunday evening a while ago, but the place was unfortunately full at the time. (Mind you, the place isn’t massive either.) So, this time around, I came at the earliest time during their lunch hours, and my strategy worked 😁! (Got to also say the place did fill up quite quickly afterwards.) As the name of the restaurant implies, it specialises in hot stone cooking. Customers who order this will be given a hot stone with choices of steak and/or seafood which they will be cooking themselves over the hot stone. I ordered a sirloin steak paired with tiger king prawns. (Would have loved to try the Wagyu beef, but it’s too expensive for me eat by myself…) It’s great fun to do and you would be given premium ingredients, though just be mindful you may be let down by your own cooking. 😅

Think I overcooked my steak slightly…. 😓

I also ordered the scallop tataki, which is scallops that were quickly seared at the sides but mostly raw at the centre. It was absolutely delicious, in fact I wished there were even more! 😂 For those of you who may be looking for alternatives to the hot stone, there are plenty of choices of sushi and other kind Japanese dishes there. (In fact, I was awkwardly staring at the dishes the tables next to me were ordering… Definitely tempted to order more if I weren’t worried about a hefty bill! 😂)

And, to finish, some vanilla ice cream mochi.

Kick Off Your Sunday Shoes

At the end of every weekends, there always seems to be a sense of dread with the thought of going back to work tomorrow. As one who has suffered from anxiety issues, I have had problems of ‘butterflies in stomach’ as the end of Sunday approaches. Such was a bit of a problem when I was in school, but now having grown into adulthood, I have tried to find ways of managing these problems.

What I found was that doing something that you could enjoy and relax was a great help. And, for me, the best thing to do was obviously none other than having delicious food! So after an afternoon nap at home, I hopped onto a bus for a short ride to Angel station. It is one of my favourite spots in London to come by for good food as it boasts a vast array of restaurants and eatery here.

Now, I have a few places that I particularly go often here, but today I thought I will go for something different as I headed into Wahaca. For my fellow Londoners, I doubt it is something unfamiliar (as they are virtually everywhere!) I had a strange relationship with Wahaca in that, in my first few months in London, everyone I knew would go on about how great it is but we always struggled to get into a restaurant on Friday nights, so I actually didn’t manage to have a try until some time last year (and I genuinely like Mexican food!)

Raspberry Sorbet & Vanilla with Hibiscus 🌺 Syrup and Cinnamon-Dusted Buñuelo Pastry

I really enjoyed the crab & avocado tostadas and the ice creams, especially with the cinnamon buñuelo pastry which brought something different to the table. Whilst the steak was also good overall, I thought it was a touch under-seasoned. Either way, a fiery kick start to the week!

Do you also enjoy Mexican cuisine? Do you have a thing-to-do on Sunday evenings? 😉 Feel free to let me know in the comments!