I just received another email from UWS, my Master coordinator... throughout these holidays, he never fails to remind us students that uni is going to start soon for us =( I can just feel the noose tightening around our necks- if he's already so 緊張 about us during the holidays, he's going to have a field day handing out assignments and projects once uni starts.

So with the constant reminder that my days of freedom are about to end soon, I shall thoroughly enjoy the last few weeks of my holidays (and find some time in between to read that reader that isn't getting read). It's back to Azuma for cake!

From Week 6, 2010

This was their green tea mousse cake. It's a really well-thought of cake, because it's not just matcha mousse and azuki paste, there's also a layer of soft sponge in between, and the base is chocolate. Matcha and chocolate goes so well together, and to add azuki to go with it- masterpiece.

From Week 6, 2010

More Azuma Houseblend of houji, genmai and green tea.

From Week 6, 2010

My flower of the week- pink rose.

From Week 6, 2010

=D What could this possibly be? Yes, mushrooms are healthy, but there's nothing healthy about the amber glow of pork belly, roasted in the oven till it's... well, it's not meant to be crispy, but we can fix that!

From Week 6, 2010

A close up of the pork belly.

From Week 6, 2010

To crisp up the skin, we used a blowtorch. What the blowtorch does is that it gets rid of any stray fur/hair of the pig that didn't get plucked out by the butcher, and it also causes some blistering in the skin, which makes it crispy. I suppose it'd work the same way under a grill, but things are so much more dangerous (and thus fun!) with a blowtorch.

Tt really did all the work in this because it has to be marinated for a night before roasting in the oven. It's meant to be a beta version for what I'm making to YJ's birthday party this Saturday (Sorry YJ, if you read this before your party, you'd have spoilt your surprise regarding what dish I'll be bringing to your pot luck dinner!) and, I'll be honest, I didn't really expect it to turn out -quite- so well.

From Week 6, 2010

Tt's potatos. He dipped it into melted butter before putting it into the oven. Why waste the oven heat when it's already so hot from cooking the pork belly? I think tt was kinda disappointed that I didn't seem too enthusiastic about it. I guess what was missing was really just the chicken salt. Potatos aren't quite right without some nasty, cancer-causing chicken salt!

From Week 6, 2010

Cross section of the pork belly. My camera really doesn't do it any justice, this might as well be a black and white photograph, the colours are so lacking due to the flash.

From Week 6, 2010

There we go- without the flash this time, along with some artistic blurring background (what my brother told me was the "bokeh" effect... ok, I'm no photographer =_=). While some health-conscious dieters will discard the fat... not us =) All that fatty goodness went straight into our stomachs~ (or... the thighs/stomach... wherever fat goes. I think mine goes to my fingers =( why do I have such stubby fingers! These aren't the hands of a musician!)

From Week 6, 2010

The recipe actually includes a szechuan salt to go with the pork belly, but we didn't make that. Tt snuck the packet of szechuan peppercorns into my bag so I can make it for YJ's party... but I'm really lazy to get out the mortar and pestle to grind sea salt plus peppercorns. I bought sea salt today though, so maybe that's some incentive to get my arm muscles working a bit.

From Week 6, 2010

Obie!

From Week 6, 2010

He has this really cute brown patch that's almost a perfect circle near his butt, and a really short Bambi-style tail that wiggles when he's excited. Note to self- NEVER ring tt's doorbell, Obie goes crazy and hyeractive when he hears it and runs everywhere, barking non-stop for minutes.

From Week 6, 2010

Ahhh... chicken salt on potato chips, freshly deep-fried. Went to work today and because my dad offered me a lift, I didn't get a chance to sit in the usual corner cafe to have some food and/or coffee. Which means I forgot to eat before going to work, and I didn't get a chance to eat till 7:30pm. A whole day without food left me starving and even though I knew I should go home to have dinner, tolerating another 2 hours seemed like torture, so I went and got something unhealthy- a cheeseburger combo from Pennant Hills Seafood.

From Week 6, 2010

Their burgers are freshly made to order, as well as their fries. Their cheeseburger contains beetroot, onions (fried!! Thank goodness they're cooked), tomato, two beef patties, lettuces and grilled buns. Oh, and cheese. People who keep saying I'm on some sort of diet or something, what nonsense. Get me hungry enough and I'll eat all the fat I can get my hands on.

Oh, and the recipe for pork belly? Will be posted in the next entry, when I try to make it myself without tt's help... please... let it be a success!!